Canadian Thanksgiving Treat!
Today is my first "official" Canadian Thanksgiving! It was a beautiful day filled with sunshine, breathtaking fall foliage and delicious food! Normally, I am used to American Thanksgiving in November- but I must say, I enjoy celebrating this holiday in October! It's nice to have a holiday just as the weather starts to change and you start to smell the first hint of fall. The best part about living in Canada is that I'll be able to celebrate two "official" Thanksgivings a year too!
I might as well reference a brief history of Canadian Thanksgiving for all my American friends reading this blog. After reading up on the internet I found a nice piece from twilightbridge. Below is a history of this holiday from their post:
“In Canada Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Unlike the American tradition of remembering Pilgrims and settling in the New World, Canadians give thanks for a successful harvest. The harvest season falls earlier in Canada compared to the United States due to the simple fact that Canada is further north.
At the same time, French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, also held huge feasts of thanks. They even formed 'The Order of Good Cheer' and gladly shared their food with their Indian neighbours.
After the Seven Year's War ended in 1763, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving. During the American Revolution, Americans who remained loyal to England moved to Canada where they brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada. There are many similarities between the two Thanksgivings such as the cornucopia and the pumpkin pie.
Eventually in 1879, Parliament declared November 6th a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday. Over the years many dates were used for Thanksgiving, the most popular was the 3rd Monday in October. After World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11th occurred. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day.
Finally, on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed, “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed…to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.”
For all of our friends and family in Canada- hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Source: http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/thanksgiving/canada/
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