Thanksgiving Day

When is Thanksgiving Day 2022?

Thanksgiving Day is organized every year on the second Monday of October, which is an occasion to celebrate the good harvest, fortune, and prosperity of the previous year. In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is associated with the European ritual of harvest festivals. Roads are frequently busy on this holiday for those traveling by vehicles, as the family members meet with each other for a Thanksgiving feast.

History of Thanksgiving Day:

In Canada, the Thanksgiving Day tradition was founded when English explorer Martin Frobisher arrived on Canadian land to discover the northern route of the Orient. In 1578, when Frobisher came to Canada on his third trip. At that time, he gave a formal party where he thanked for continuing the journey, though one of his ships had lost its path. He enjoyed salted beef and peas on his meal, and it would be the pilgrims' first feast to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated a month before America, as it is believed that the harvest season in northern Canada started earlier than in the United States. In 1879, Thanksgiving Day was recognized as a national holiday in Canada. Since then, the holiday date has been changed several times, and the current date had been set in 1957.

Is Thanksgiving Day a Statutory holiday in Canada?

Thanksgiving is an official statutory holiday in Canada except for the Atlantic provinces of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. When some regions don't have a day off on Thanksgiving Day, organizations don't need their employees to pay for the day, so often, families enjoy their Thanksgiving Day on Sundays.

Thanksgiving is the considerably vital family day of the year for Canadians after Christmas, and some will pass over long distances to spend time with their families.

What opens or closes on Thanksgiving Day in Canada?

All schools, banks, businesses, stores, organizations, libraries, and post offices are closed. Public transit services may move for a limited time or may not operate at all. Thanksgiving Day is a scheduled day of rest in New Brunswick, meaning all businesses are closed. Nova Scotia considers this day as Retail Closing Day, when some retail companies are not permitted to open, and workers have the legitimate privilege of refusing to work.

How do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day?

A celebration of being grateful for what we have accomplished over the past year. Many often enjoy a three-day weekend with family or friends who live far away or invite them to their homes. They make a special meal to eat during Thanksgiving weekend, including roast turkey and seasonal foods like mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin, corn ears, and pecan nuts. Now, the regional variation is frequently seen on Thanksgiving food.

Thanksgiving weekend is also a prime time to take a short autumn vacation. For some Canadians, this may be the last opportunity to spend time at a cottage or vacation home before the winter. Other recreational activities for this weekend are outdoor leisure, hiking, and fishing. The football games supporters of the Canadian Football League can spend their weekend watching Thanksgiving Day Classic Match.

People use the hashtag #Thanksgiving on social media to mark this special day. They send wishes to their friends and family using this hashtag. A famous portrait seen on Thanksgiving day is a cornucopia, or horn, loaded with seasonal fruits and vegetables. In ancient Greece, The Cornucopia is the Horn of Plenty, a sign of reward and quantity.

In Newfoundland, people enjoy boiled and cooked meals, a meat dish boiled with pea pudding. In Ontario, people consume pastry shells stuffed with syrup stuffing and butter tarts. Many seasonal vegetables, loaves of bread, and beverages are served on Thanksgiving Day. These dishes are uniquely prepared and offered in a Canadian way.

Thanksgiving Day Observances