Thanksgiving in Canada

Some of you may not be aware that Canadian Thanksgiving falls at a different time than US Thanksgiving. We will celebrate this year on the 9th of October, which is Columbus Day in the US.

Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated earlier than US Thanksgiving only because we are further north and by the second Monday in October, our harvest is pretty much over. All that's left in the fields and orchards are a few apples on the trees and the pumpkins in the fields.

We do not remember the Pilgrims on Thanksgiving or celebrate the settling of the New World in Canada. Quite simply, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the bountiful harvest. However, the cornucopia is a symbol of our thanks and we do eat turkey and pumpkin pie.

The first Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1578, when explorer Martin Frobisher came upon the land mass of what is today known as Newfoundland. He and his crew were seeking a route to the Orient. Their efforts were unsuccessful. However, they docked in Newfoundland and gave thanks for surviving the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean. As European settlers came to eastern Canada, this tradition was continued.

At approximately the same time, Samuel de Champlain arrived in Canada with French settlers and gave thanks for their safe arrival in New France. They had a feast, which they shared with the Native Americans in the area.

The Seven Years War ended in 1763. The people of Halifax celebrated giving thanks for the end of the horrific conflict. This was a very special day of Thanksgiving.

After the American Revolution, US Loyalists immigrated to Canada and brought US Thanksgiving traditions with them. These continue to be celebrated in Canada to the present day.

In 1879, Canadian Parliament declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the 6th of November. Then the date was changed several times and finally was celebrated on October 3rd of each year. After the First World War, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on Monday closest to November 11th. That changed on January 31, 1957 when Parliament declared that Canadian Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the second Monday of October. It was a day to thank God for the harvest with which the country had been blessed.

Our family will celebrate Thanksgiving on October 8th so that my sister and brother can spend time with their families on October 9th. We will each prepare something to take to the celebration. This year it will be at my daughters. Usually it's at Mom's and we all gather there, but since she had a stroke in August, we have chosen to celebrate a little differently this year because of her health.

We have much to be thankful for. My mother had no lasting effects from the stroke. We have been blessed in many other ways over the past year and we are thankful to live in such a great country as Canada. Yes, we moan and complain about government and this and that, but really, we know that we are lucky to live in a country where we have rights and freedoms that many other don't.

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who will be celebrating in Canada on the second Monday of October. May we be blessed for many years to come.