15 Canadian Thanksgiving Facts And How It Differs From America's
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Do you know the difference between the thanksgiving celebrations of the United States and Canada?
Thanksgiving holiday celebrates the harvest of the previous year and various other blessings. They thank God, along with their friends and family.
It is celebrated annually in various countries including the United States, Canada, Liberia, Grenada, and Saint Lucia.
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on different days in various countries. In the United States, it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. The Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October and on the first Thursday of November in Liberia. The Thanksgiving season is usually in October or November. The preparations began almost a week ago.
Canadians have Thanksgiving celebrations that last for the whole weekend. Families come together on Thanksgiving Day to celebrate, enjoy and pray. In many countries, like the United States, people prepare a special feast which is usually referred to as the 'Thanksgiving dinner'.
For Canadian Thanksgiving, people decorate churches, pray, and sing hymns on Thanksgiving weekend. Some special dishes made on this day include roasted turkey, baked potatoes, pumpkin, cranberry sauce, pie, and several others.
Turkey is a major part of the dinner as there was an abundance of turkey birds during the initial years of the celebration, hence they carried the tradition.
It produces serotonin in the brain, which makes you sleepy. Breaking wishbone is a popular custom for Thanksgiving Day. It originated from an ancient Italian civilization called Etruscans. They used birds to predict the future. They pulled the clavicles of chicken for good luck. There are various Canadian Thanksgiving facts you might not know.
The tradition of Thanksgiving was brought to Canada by the European settlers who came to the new world. After reading some fascinating facts about Thanksgiving in Canada, also check Lake Erie Canada and facts about Canada.
Canadian Thanksgiving Traditions
Thanksgiving day in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday of October. It is an annual cultural holiday where people come together to celebrate the bountiful harvest and any good thing they received in the previous year.
They thank God through this tradition. Canada officially started celebrating Thanksgiving day in 1879 and the tradition still goes on. Few cities in Canada do not celebrate this holiday. They include Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, and others.
The Canadians decorate their churches with corn, pumpkins, wheat, and other harvests for the Thanksgiving holiday. Since it is celebrated on a Monday, people get a long weekend to celebrate the festival.
Most people organize special Thanksgiving food with family on the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day. The special dishes included in the dinner are roasted turkey and beef along with ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mushy peas, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pie.
Many events like the Markham Fair, the annual parade of Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, Fort Langley, and others are organized during the Canadian Thanksgiving. A Thanksgiving Day Classic is organized by the Canadian Football League where they play two games.
Canadian Thanksgiving Food
Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada. The feast or the Thanksgiving dinner is extremely famous all over the world.
Various countries including the United States, Canada, and others celebrate this day to show their gratitude and celebrate the harvest. They prepare various dishes as a part of the Thanksgiving tradition.
Various countries prepare a variety of dishes to celebrate Thanksgiving Day holiday.
They include their staples and other traditional dishes in the big meal. Whole turkeys are roasted.
Some of these dishes included in the Canadian Thanksgiving meal are Maple roast turkey and gravy, rice dish, Mashed potatoes (including Fried mushroom, onion, and bacon), cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, apple pie, poutine rapee, sweet potato rolls, butter tarts, celery stuffing, bread stuffing, creamed corn, mincemeat pie, smoked Salmon, Brussels and bacon sprouts, and carrots glazed with maple.
History Of Thanksgiving In Canada
Thanksgiving day is a cultural annual holiday celebrated in various countries to celebrate the harvest. Though Thanksgiving day is quite popular nowadays it wasn’t the same always.
In Canada, it was first celebrated in 1579. But today also Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, and other cities do not celebrate Thanksgiving day.
The first Thanksgiving day was celebrated by Martin Frobisher in 1579. On his third voyage, he had 15 ships loaded with people, building material, and provisions. He wanted to start a small settlement. But during their journey, many storms and ice stopped them and one ship got lost.
When they met again at the anchorage, they celebrated the Holy Communion for their safe arrival. Later the people of Halifax celebrated Thanksgiving after the end of the war. After the American Revolution, many refugees brought various American customs to Canada including Thanksgiving.
It was then celebrated in 1872 to celebrate King Edward VII’s recovery. Then in 1879, it was declared a national holiday. Since then it has been celebrated every year on the second Monday of October.
Differences Among Provinces
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in various countries including the United States, Canada, Liberia, Grenada, and Saint Lucia. The festivities may differ from country to country. The dates also vary. American Thanksgiving day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
The Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October and on the first Thursday of November in Liberia.
In the United States, families come together to have a special festive meal, attend church programs, and watch sports matches. Various Thanksgiving parades are organized throughout the country. It generally begins the shopping season for Christmas in the United States.
In Canada, people enjoy their Thanksgiving weekend by organizing various events, having special dinners, decorating the church, singing hymns, and watching sports. In Liberia, people prepare special food including roasted chicken, casserole, mashed cassavas, and more.
In Grenada, various ceremonies take place on Thanksgiving Day. People attend church services and enjoy the day with friends and families. Even though the countries celebrate this cultural holiday in different ways, the spirit of harmony, gratefulness, and togetherness is the same.
Ways Canadian Thanksgiving Differs from American Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving holiday celebrates the gratitude and harvest of the previous year. It is celebrated in the United States and Canada along with other countries.
Families come together to have a big dinner. Though the motive is the same, there are various differences in which these holidays differ from one country to another. American Thanksgiving may vary from its Canadian version.
The different ways in which Canadian thanksgiving differs from American Thanksgiving are listed below.
In Canada, it is celebrated on the second Monday of October while in the United States, it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This is because, in Canada, the harvest season comes earlier than in the United States.
It is more popular in America as compared to that in Canada.
In the United States, pumpkin pie is served as a dessert on Thanksgiving Day but in Canada, it is made a little spicier.
The American Thanksgiving starts the shopping season for Christmas but that’s not the case in Canada.
The parades in Canada are much smaller than that of the United States.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Canadian thanksgiving facts then why not take a look at currents events in Canada, or Canada autumn.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature
Akinwalere OlaleyeBachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature
As a highly motivated, detail-oriented, and energetic individual, Olaleye's expertise lies in administrative and management operations. With extensive knowledge as an Editor and Communications Analyst, Olaleye excels in editing, writing, and media relations. Her commitment to upholding professional ethics and driving organizational growth sets her apart. She has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Benin, Edo State.
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