Canadian Thanksgiving is an annual holiday and harvest festival celebrated on the second Monday in October). It is a time for families to gather and enjoy a turkey dinner while celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. The holiday is a celebration of being thankful for what one has and the bounty of the previous year). Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in most of Canada, and an optional holiday in the Atlantic provinces of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick).

Canadian Thanksgiving has some unique origins that separate it from the American holiday, predating the United States Thanksgiving holiday in Plymouth Plantation by 43 years. The holiday actually has much earlier beginnings, possibly beginning in some form back in 1587 with Arctic explorer Martin Frobisher. It was not until 1957 that the date of the second Monday in October was chosen to be Thanksgiving in Canada. The decision led to complaints from farmers that this gave those in the city a longer weekend when the weather was still suitable for working outdoors.

The holiday corresponds to the British and continental European harvest festival, with churches decorated with cornucopias, pumpkins, corn, wheat sheaves, and other harvest bounty). While the actual Thanksgiving holiday is on a Monday, Canadians may gather for their Thanksgiving feast on any day during the long weekend; however, Sunday is considered the most common).

In terms of how Canadians celebrate, there is not a great deal of difference to the Americans. Eating turkey and other traditional foods is a common practice in both countries. However, Canadian Thanksgiving is more low-key than its American counterpart. Although the holiday takes place on a Monday, employers are not required to give workers the day off. Families and friends usually gather on the Sunday before to celebrate the holiday. Also, Canadian Thanksgiving is not celebrated widely across Canada and i...