1. The Best Movies on Netflix Canada, According to Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes—the popular site that aggregates reviews from critics and creates a score that’s “fresh” or “rotten”—has put together a list of the best movies of all time based on adjusted score and number of reviews. From crime classics to Oscar-winning dramas, 25 of those “guaranteed fresh” picks are available on Netflix right now.
2. 75 Funny Jokes to Make Anyone Laugh
Short and snappy jokes to start your day with a smile!
3. The Best Thrillers on Netflix Canada Right Now
From nail-biting murder mysteries to pulse-pounding capers, check out 25 of the most suspenseful offerings on Netflix.
4. 10 Places Every Canadian Needs to Visit
Our definitive cross-Canada bucket list proves there really is no place like home.
5. 25 Feel-Good Movies on Netflix Canada
Looking to cure a case of the blues? These uplifting and inspirational flicks will surely do the trick.
6. Why You Can’t Buy Equal-Sized Packs of Hot Dogs and Buns at the Grocery Store
There’s a reason why 10 hot dogs and 8 buns in each package is the norm, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.
7. Could You Really Be Jailed for Failing to Complete the Census?
Ever wondered what would happen if you “forgot” to fill out the government’s census questionnaire? After the May 11th deadline, everyone was Googling this question—and our ace reporter Flannery Dean tracked down the answer!
8. The Best Scary Movies on Netflix Canada
Judging from the phenomenal response to this story, horror movies aren’t just for Halloween. Discover 20 brilliant chillers that are light on gore, but heavy on the goosebumps.
9. 50 Good News Stories That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity
Sick of all those horrible headlines in the news? We redressed the balance with a roundup of the most heartwarming and inspirational stories from around the world.
10. Which Rust Proofing Option is Right for You?
The Canadian climate can be cruel to our cars. Thankfully, there are a number of rust proofing treatments that offer protection. In this feature, our auto expert revealed which one is best for your car—and your budget.
Don’t miss any of our new automotive features in 2022—sign up for our free Driver’s Seat newsletter.
I was four years old in 1993, when my family emigrated from the United Arab Emirates to Toronto. Young enough to be changed by my new home, but old enough to know I was different from everyone around me.
I was the only Arab and only Muslim in my junior kindergarten class at McKee Public School in suburban Toronto. No one else had a name like mine, and no one else spoke Arabic (my English back then was rudimentary at best). Beyond those obvious differences, Canadian life proved to be quite distinct in other ways. After recovering from the shock of experiencing the teeth-chattering cold and waist-deep deluges of snow of my first Canadian winter, I discovered another surprise that December.
Overnight, everything was suddenly covered in red and green. Storefronts were decorated with string lights wrapped around pines and firs, mall speakers echoed songs about a red-nosed reindeer named Rudolph, and my classmates chattered excitedly about gingerbread cookies and what gifts they’d asked Santa for that Christmas.
At some point, I must have asked myself, What is Christmas? There’s nothing quite like it in the Muslim world. The closest comparison might be Eid al-Adha, which translates from Arabic to “Festival of Sacrifice.” It’s a commemoration of Abraham’s willingness to obey God’s command to kill his own son until God intervened with a ram to sacrifice instead. Not quite as fun and festive as the story behind Christmas, is it?
While both holidays embody the same essence of sharing with the less fortunate and spending time with loved ones, Eid meant new clothes and a family dinner, and that was about it. No tree adorned with whimsical ornaments, no yule log cakes or eggnog, and no gifts covered in wrapping paper destined to become colourful debris scattered on our living room floor.
Christmas was completely foreign to me, but when you live in a country like Canada, it’s so infused in the culture that you inevitably learn everything there is to know about it. Once the holidays came around, the plots of my Saturday morning cartoons revolved around Santa and the Grinch, and I watched classics like Home Alone and A Charlie Brown Christmas. I couldn’t possibly have articulated it back then, but I was keenly aware that this Christmas stuff that had my classmates and the kids on TV so giddy had nothing to do with me. It was something “Canadians” and “Christians” did, and I was neither.
But then my parents unexpectedly informed my younger brother, Anis, and I that Santa would be paying us a visit on Christmas Eve. “But aren’t we Muslim?” I asked.
“Yes, but Santa loves all children equally and gets them all gifts,” my mother replied.
So on that first Christmas Eve in Canada, she hung oversized red and white stockings, each one customized with our names in our favourite colours, off our bedposts. I have a distinct memory of the restless anticipation that kept me awake long after bedtime and my elation when I got up on Christmas morning to find my stocking filled to the brim. And Santa knew exactly what Anis and I liked: I got my favourite candy, Smarties, and stacks of Pogs (any fellow millennials remember those?). My brother got Playmobil sets and toy sharks, his two childhood passions.
Still in our pyjamas, we ran over to the kitchen to tell our parents that Santa had indeed visited us last night. We asked if they’d seen him, and Mom said, “Of course!” We didn’t have a chimney, so instead, Santa’s sleigh and flying reindeer landed on our snow-covered sixth-floor balcony. Mom then offered Santa a cup of black Turkish coffee, as is the Arab custom when hosting guests. He needed the energy for the long night ahead, she told us. When I returned to school after the holidays, I had a story to share with my classmates. Santa had visited me too! I could show off my own gifts while other kids showed off theirs.
My parents kept our little Christmas tradition going for years, until my brother and I were too old to believe in Santa anymore. I never asked them why they went through all that bother, but I suspect they did it so we could feel like we belonged in our new country. Creating a sense of belonging is a funny thing. You can’t force yourself to belong somewhere. That belonging comes from a change within you, from a willingness to be part of something.
As an adult, I’ve come to realize that the most important part of belonging is joining in traditions. The specifics of Christmas, from Jesus to Santa, are all irrelevant in a sense. What matters is that Christmas gives us an excuse to bring people together to share in the love that unites us. So perhaps, when I have kids of my own one day, I’ll resurrect the family tradition and invite Santa over for a cup of coffee before he leaves my kids something special in their stockings.
Next, check out these heartwarming photos of Canadian Christmas traditions across the country.
Window channels
Start with the window channels. Lower the window glass and shoot dry Teflon spray down the front, rear and top window channels on each door. Soak the channels. Then run the window up and down several times to spread the lube. Finally, raise the window and clean off overspray with glass cleaner.
Trunk and hatch locks
Then shoot the door and trunk/hatch lock cylinders. Use the spray straw to force the lock ‘door’ open. Then inject a quick shot of dry Teflon spray into the lock cylinder. Insert your key and rotate the lock to spread the lube.
Weather stripping
Next, coat all the weather stripping with dry Teflon spray. Then spread it with a cloth. Finish the job by lubing the hood, trunk or tailgate latches with lithium grease.
Door hinges
Then spray the door hinges. Operate the latches and doors several times to spread the grease.
Next, find out 20+ more ways to get your car ready for winter.
The past year has proven that if given enough time indoors, people will come up with amazing DIY projects to entertain themselves—and the public. The next creative trend involves making a blooming marshmallow.
OK, what’s a blooming marshmallow?
In simplest terms, these marshmallows look like closed flowers, and once you add them to a cup of hot cocoa, the petals start expanding. It’s a visual trick that tastes as good as it looks!
@flamingodiy5Wait for it ! #hot_chocolate #hotchocolate #blooming #marshmallow♬ original sound – Flamingo DIY
Some versions are simpler while others are more elaborately decorated, but the general premise remains the same. You can check out the recipe from our friends at Totally the Bomb.
You start by making the marshmallows from scratch with corn syrup, water, unflavored gelatin and sugar. Then, you spread the mixture into a baking sheet dusted with corn starch and powdered sugar and wait until it sets up.
The secret that makes marshmallow flowers bloom is a base of melted chocolate. You spread the chocolate thinly in silicone molds, then use a flower-shaped cookie cutter to form the shapes and decorate them how you like. The marshmallow flowers are placed into the chocolate cups.
The final step is adding the fruits of your labour to a hot beverage and watching them bloom!
How to customize your blooming marshmallow
You can decorate the marshmallow flowers in so many ways. I like the idea of using food colouring to paint and decorate the marshmallow petals. Many of the versions online use candy pearls in the centre, but we think coloured sugar would also work nicely. To change the marshmallow’s flavour, add flavourings like vanilla or peppermint or make a vegan version using agar powder instead of gelatin. Cheers!
Next, check out the best hot chocolate recipes to warm up this winter.
Q: What is a New Year’s resolution?
A: Something that goes in one year and out the other.
Q: What do snowmen like to do on New Year’s Eve?
A: Chill out.
Q: What do New Year’s parades have in common with Santa Claus?
A: No one is awake to see either of them.
Q: Why do you need a jeweller on New Year’s Eve?
A: To ring in the new year.
Q: What did the little champagne bottle call his father?
A: Pop!
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Abby.
Abby who?
Abby New Year.
Don’t miss this roundup of knock-knock jokes that are genuinely funny!
My New Year’s resolution is to stop hanging out with people who ask me about my New Year’s resolutions.
Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up for new year’s. Middle age is when you’re forced to.
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.
My resolution was to read more, so I put the subtitles on my TV.
I see no need to make more New Year’s resolutions when the ones already on the books aren’t being enforced.
This New Year’s, I resolved to lead a better life. Now all I have to do is find someone who will trade lives with me.
I was going to quit all my bad habits for the new year, but then I remembered that nobody likes a quitter.
Q: Where can you find comedians on New Year’s Eve?
A: Waiting for the punchline.
Q: What did the ghost say on January 1st?
A: Happy Boo Year.
Q: What’s a cow’s favourite holiday?
A: Moo Year’s Eve.
Q: What’s a digital camera’s New Year’s resolution?
A: 1080p.
Q: Where can you go to practice math on New Year’s Eve?
A: Times Square.
Q: Why should you put your new calendar in the freezer?
A: To start off the new year in a cool way.
Q: What do you tell someone you didn’t see on New Year’s Eve?
A: I haven’t seen you for a year!
Q: What happened to the man who shoplifted a calendar on New Year’s Eve?
A: He got 12 months!
Q: What’s the one group that hates New Year’s Day?
A: The New Year’s Eve clean-up crew.
Q: Not to brag, but I already have a date for New Year’s Eve.
A: December 31st.
Next, check out 50 inspirational New Year’s quotes.
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