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. 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). Companies that are regulated by the federal government, such as those in the telecommunications and banking sectors, recognize the holiday everywhere).
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 first Canadian Thanksgiving was reportedly hosted in 1578 by the English explorer Martin Frobisher in what is now Newfoundland. At the time, Frobisher and his expedition attempted to travel through the Northwest Passage safely. The celebration marked their safe arrival to the New World. That first celebratory meal consisted of a simple but delicious combination of salted beef and mushy peas.
The Canadian Thanksgiving is a lot more chilled out than the US Thanksgiving. While some families celebrate with a big dinner, it’s just not that important for others. While most of the country gets the Monday off, in some parts of the country like Atlantic Canada, it’s an optional holiday – so not all businesses close for the day. In Quebec, Thanksgiving is called “Action de Grâce” but many Quebecers don’t celebrate at all.
Thanksgiving food is fairly similar across Canada and the US, with just a few small regional differences. Instead of turkey, Canadians might serve ham and tourtiere, a pastry pie filled with potatoes. People from Newfoundland like to enjoy a traditional Jiggs dinner – corned beef, root vegetables, and peas pudding all boiled together. For dessert, Ontarian locals usually go for butter tarts, while people in the Canadian Prairie.
