Shania Twain Said Getting Her Tongue Stuck to Frozen Metal Was a ‘Rite of Passage’ in Ontario

“That Don’t Impress Me Much” country singer, Shania Twain, is a proud Canadian, now owning her own house near Ontario. Twain detailed her childhood in Northern Ontario with From This Moment On, including one painful “rite of passage” experienced by most kids — getting your tongue stuck to frozen metal. 

Shania Twain grew up in Ontario, Canada 

Before she was the “Queen of Country Pop,” Twain lived with her family in Timmins, Ontario. The artist’s childhood was marked by financial struggles and domestic violence.

After graduating high school, the artist briefly moved to Toronto, Canada where she sang at clubs. Years later, Twain was signed to a record label, releasing her self-titled collection in 1993.

Shania Twain described one ‘A Christmas Story’-esque ‘rite of passage’ in Northern Ontario

In her memoir From This Moment On, Twain detailed her life in Canada before her country music stardom. That includes her experience transferring schools more than a dozen times, her first brush with musical instruments, and the freezing winters.

“One rite of passage for anyone from Northern Ontario is getting your tongue stuck to frozen metal,” Twain wrote. “Any Canadian who insists ‘Never happened to me!’ is just too embarrassed to admit that as a child he tempted fate by touching his tongue to the zipper on his ski jacket and then couldn’t pry it loose.” 

“It’s a strange and panicky feeling, but if you don’t jerk your head back and have the presence of mind to exhale hot air out your mouth, the metal will thaw just long enough to release you,” she added of the sensation. 

The same experience was illustrated in the classic 1983 holiday flick A Christmas Story when one character licks a frozen pole on a bet. Due to the Indiana winter, his tongue sticks. The fire department and police come to remove it.

“With a lot of skill and a little bit of luck, you can escape without leaving any flesh behind,” Twain noted.

Shania Twain would blow dry her hair with a vacuum during Ontario winters 

For women with wet hair, frigid weather posed a unique problem — the same memoir mentioned an anecdote of someone’s ponytail snapping off after freezing. Twain and her sisters, who didn’t have a blow dryer, had to improvise regarding haircare. 

As a result, Twain mentioned using an Electrolux vacuum to dry her hair. Unfortunately, it would sometimes leave her hair smelling like dog hair or food crumbs, but the alternative was hanging over a heating vent on the floor, which took longer.

According to Hello Magazine, Twain now has her own home in Canada, as well as, residences in The Bahamas and Las Vegas. However, she spends most of her time at her Lake Geneva house in Switzerland. 

Now, music by Twain is available on most major streaming platforms.