Although Canadian Thanksgiving shares some similarities with its American counterpart, its origins, historical development, and the cultural practices surrounding it make the day a distinct and unique tradition. Initially celebrated on various dates from April to November, the date of Canadian Thanksgiving was officially set to the second Monday of October by a proclamation of parliament in 1957.
The decision was made to distinguish the celebrations from the solemn observance of Remembrance Day in November. The earlier date also reflects Canada’s generally cooler climate and earlier harvest, aligning Thanksgiving with the end of the agricultural season.
When Was the Earliest Thanksgiving in Canada?
While Thanksgiving in the United States is famously linked to the 1621 harvest feast shared between English Pilgrim colonists and the Wampanoag people of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Canadian Thanksgiving also has early roots in the colonial period.
According to some historians, the earliest celebration in Canada is attributed to Sir Martin Frobisher, an English privateer, who, in 1578, participated in a feast of thanksgiving with his crew in present-day Nunavut (Newfoundland) to celebrate their safe passage to the New World.
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Another Thanksgiving-like event in Canada occurred in 1614 when French colonists, led by Samuel de Champlain, instituted a series of feats known as the “Order of Good Cheer” to celebrate the survival of early French settlers (owing to assistance from Indigenous people) after being trapped by the winter ice on the island of Île-Ste-Croix in the Bay of Fundy.
In both cases, the roots of the modern tradition of Thanksgiving emerged in Canada some decades before the historic gathering of pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
When Was Canadian Thanksgiving Standardized?
After the fall of New France to Britain in 1763, sporadic thanksgivings were held in what is now modern Canada. Especially following the termination of the 1812 War between France, the United States, and Great Britain and above all, after Lower and Upper Canada were merged into the United Province of Canada in 1841.
The first official Thanksgiving day in Canada on record came after confederation on April 15 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness. By 1879, Thanksgiving was declared an official Canadian national holiday, though its precise date shifted between November and October for years to come.
Critically, from 1921 to 1930, Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated alongside Armistice Day. After 1919, Armistice Day – now known as Remembrance Day – was inaugurated across the British Empire to mark the end of hostilities during the First World War.
In 1921, the Canadian parliament passed the Armistice Day Bill to observe the commemorations – alongside Thanksgiving – on the first Monday of the week of November 11th. To separate and better distinguish between the two holidays, in 1957, Canadian Thanksgiving was moved by proclamation of parliament to the second Monday of October.
What Are Canadian Thanksgiving Traditions Today?
Though in Canada Thanksgiving is a relatively low-key affair and less commercialized than in the United States, it remains a cherished national holiday, marked by family gatherings, the observance of national sports, and Thanksgiving Day parades.
Generally, the traditional Canadian Thanksgiving meal resembles its American counterpart, with its famous spread of roast turkey served with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, and cranberry sauce. For dessert, spicy pumpkin pie, topped with whipped cream is common, as are sweet butter tarts, Nanaimo bars, and apple pie.
Regional traditions also play an important role. For instance, in Newfoundland, many families share what is known as a “Jiggs Dinner” consisting of boiled meat and split pea pudding, in a similar style to the original dinner of Salted beef and mushy peas said to have been enjoyed by Martin Frobisher and his fleet in 1578.
In some coastal provinces ham or seafood either complements the turkey or replaces it altogether. By contrast, in the provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick Canadian Thanksgiving is barely observed at all.
