to think that ,actually, I am not Canadian. And therefore it is unlikely I wil have a Canadian costume?

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

And...more to the point, if it is Multicultural carnival day, why the actual fuck does the whole of ds2 class have to dress as Canada?

Thats not exactly multicultural is it?

Jeans and teeshirts like the rest of the world should do it.

And obviously little Maple Leaf flags sewn onto their backpacks.

Maybe they are taking one country. For each class. Are you over reacting here?

What would a Canadian costume even look like? Will they have 30 children all wearing red tops and black trousers being Mounties? It does seem bizarre how much effort (usually on no notice) schools expect parents to go to for dressing up days, I'm sure we didn't have all that when I was at school.

Easiest dress-up ever though.

Go in, wearing standard western clothes you already own, and say, "but this is what Canandians wear!"

And you will be right! You can use anything for this. For example, do you have any anime costumes? Then you could be "a Canadian at an anime cos-play convention".

Don't forget Canada's indigenous population, eh.

Yes, yes I know all the classes are taking a class each.
I was being sarcastic. Or ironic. Or something.

It was the surprise of the text saying "please send your child to school in Canadian custome on Friday for the multicultural carnival" like we all have Canadian costumes just waiting for the right time to bring it out.

[sigh] I shall be quiet now. And send him wearing... Well I don't know. Red and white for the Canadian flag.

Bring a jug of maple syrup.

britbat making a first nations costume would probably be harder at short notice!

IME living in the West or the country, it is either yoga gear, mountain climbing gear (North-fucking-Face) or 'I robbed an Andean farmer'. Throw in a couple of plaid shirt and jeans wearers and there is the West Coat of Canada.

Don't have them dress up in First Nations traditional dress. They will get it wrong and offend.

Tell him to say ma'am a lot. I find the ma'am'ing oddly startling wjen phoning Canadian call-centres.

That's a new one, Romans, Victorians, Indian, Chinese, spots, red, colours of the Kenyan flag, WW2 evacuee, various book days, space and PJs, but never Canadian.

My Canadian DF is a home educating SAHM normally to be found in jeans and a sweatshirt

ice hockey shirt?

It's random, isn't it?

And the text said Canadian costume. So who knows what they are expecting. I didn't realise countries had costumes

Surely it would be easier to pick countries that have traditional dress rather than Canada?
I am prepared to be told I am spectacularly missing the point and that Canada has reams of traditional dress that I am somehow unaware of.

Terence and/or Philip? All he needs is a teeshirt with a T or a P and to make lots of high pitched fart noises.
If you really want him to be memorable teach him the song about shutting your face....

Or - long scraggy wig and he can be Neil Young?

Surely they could have given you some idea of what might be acceptable? This is just passing the buck to the parent.

Does it have to be a Canadian person? Can you get your hands on some moose antlers?

got anything left over from Victorian day? I'm sure that was a phase in Quebecois culture.

I have a vision of Adam and Eve costumes with maple leaves then the teachers won't risk it again

Doesnt everyone have a child sized mountie costume waiting just for this occasion?

Ds had an under the sea party when he was in reception. I was give 2 days notice to make a killer whale costume.
I was one of the lucky parents, some kids were crabs, jelly fish and clams

Well they probably do mean a conglomerate of Canadian favorites.....a hockey shirt, a Mountie hat, a jug of maple syrup, something fur lined, some sort of Aboriginal addition....maybe a French-Canadian ceinture fléchée type attempt en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceinture_fl%C3%A9ch%C3%A9e

Although MrsTerryPratchet has it about right.....if you dress your child like your about to go on a hike (a la fleece jacket, plaid shirt and hiking shoes) you would be more accurate for most of Canada I think.

I have it. Send him in in whatever he normally wears, and when asked he can shrug excessively and say he is 'French' Canadian.

we have a LOT of cowboys in Alberta, if that's any help?

Jeans, checked shirt, boots and cowboy hat.

fixitup I have precisely none of those things.

Characters from the South Park movie? Hmm. That's a interesting idea.

Does it have to be a person? Well I don't know. It did not specify. I will ask ds2 when I get home from work.
He will say "I don't know, I don't even want to dress up" but I'll ask anyone.

I just got another text. "Your child is playing the steel pans in the multicultural carnival"

Dressed as a Canadian apparently.

What? You don't have a Mountie hat?? Just tie a colorful scarf around his waist for the ceinture fléchée and teach him to say it - the teacher will be thrilled that you've done so much research

Put any spare moose head on him (you must have one in a cupboard) and make sure he is extremely polite. JOb done.

Hope that helps.

I can't even pronounce that.

And ds2 is unlikely to want to put any effort into it tbh.