How do Thanksgivings in America and Canada differ?
Canada celebrated Thanksgiving decades before the Pilgrims, but the holiday in the U.S. and its northern neighbor have much in common.
Imagine the Thanksgiving holiday a month and a half early—and though there’s plenty of pumpkin pie, there’s not a Pilgrim in sight. For 37 million Canadians, that’s the reality of the second Monday in each October.
Many of the trappings of Canadian Thanksgiving are similar to those of its U.S. counterpart, but the Canadian tradition belongs to the 16th century, more than four decades before the historic 1621 gathering in Plymouth, Massachusetts that set American Thanksgiving into motion. (How the traditional American Thanksgiving feast evolved over the centuries.)
Origins of Canadian Thanksgiving
Canadian Thanksgiving kicked off with a feast of biscuits, salt beef, and mushy peas in 1578. That’s when Sir Martin Frobisher sailed from England in search of the Northwest Passage. After his crew’s arrival in Nunavut (now Canada’s most northerly territory) Frobisher’s men gathered, ate, and took part in a Church of England service with Mayster Wolfall, an Anglican minister, who preached “a godly sermon, exhorting them especially to be thankful to God for their strange and miraculous deliverance in those so dangerous places.”
Both Native Americans and indigenous Canadians had long celebrated the fall harvest, and white settlers attempted to follow suit as they settled on the Canadian mainland. Early attempts at French settlement along Canada’s Atlantic coast had been disastrous, and culminated in 1604 with a scurvy epidemic that took place after French settlers ignored warnings that winter ice would trap them on Île-Ste.-Croix, an island in the Bay of Fundy. They pressed forward and ended up isolated on the island for months; half of the group of settlers died of scurvy before being rescued by Indigenous Canadians.
Those who survived moved to Port Royal in what is now Nova Scotia, where Samuel de Champlain mandated a series of feasts he called the Ordre de Bon Temps, or “Order of Good Cheer.” Designed to keep the settlers’ spirits up, the feasts kicked off with a Thanksgiving-like November 1616 event that included Mi’kmaq people.
How Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated
As in the United States, Canada observed occasional Thanksgivings to celebrate important events such as the end of the War of 1812. And like its neighbor, Canada’s first thanksgivings tended to be prayerful affairs. The two countries also celebrated similarly; thanks to pro-British Loyalists who moved to Canada during and after the Revolutionary War, New England staples like turkey and pumpkin were introduced to Canada, too. (Here are a few turkey facts for Thanksgiving table talk.)
Thanksgiving became a national affair in Canada starting in 1859, again beating the United States to the pumpkin pie. (Abraham Lincoln set the precedent for the annual holiday in the U.S. after the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, when he gave in to decades of lobbying by women’s magazine mogul Sarah Josepha Hale and set the holiday for the last Thursday of November).
Unlike American Thanksgiving, Canada’s national Thanksgiving date took decades to become standardized and annual. In 1957, Canada’s parliament set the date as the second Monday in October. By then, the United States was celebrating its Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November.
Though plenty of Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving, it isn’t a public holiday in three of the country’s provinces: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. In Quebec, which has strong Catholic roots, the holiday has historically been downplayed. And Thanksgiving also isn’t the major travel and shopping event it’s become in the United States. The holiday may have come earlier to Canada, but its southern cousin is much more invested in celebrating.
Related Topics
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- This invisible killer takes out 3.5 billion U.S. birds a yearThis invisible killer takes out 3.5 billion U.S. birds a year
- Charlotte, the 'virgin birth' stingray, has a diseaseCharlotte, the 'virgin birth' stingray, has a disease
- See how billions of cicadas are taking over the U.S. this summerSee how billions of cicadas are taking over the U.S. this summer
- Why are orcas ramming boats? They might just be bored teenagersWhy are orcas ramming boats? They might just be bored teenagers
- These pelicans are starving to death—despite plenty to eatThese pelicans are starving to death—despite plenty to eat
Environment
- Exploring south-central Colorado’s backcountry
- Paid Content
Exploring south-central Colorado’s backcountry - 2024 hurricane season forecasted to be record-breaking year2024 hurricane season forecasted to be record-breaking year
- Connecting a new generation with South Africa’s iconic species
- Paid Content
Connecting a new generation with South Africa’s iconic species - These images will help you see coral reefs in a whole new wayThese images will help you see coral reefs in a whole new way
- What rising temps in the Gulf of Maine mean for wildlifeWhat rising temps in the Gulf of Maine mean for wildlife
- He’s called ‘omacha,’ a dolphin that transforms into a man. Why?He’s called ‘omacha,’ a dolphin that transforms into a man. Why?
History & Culture
- How the rainbow flag became a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ communityHow the rainbow flag became a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community
- No women allowed: These 5 destinations are men-onlyNo women allowed: These 5 destinations are men-only
- The harrowing true story of the photo that defined D-DayThe harrowing true story of the photo that defined D-Day
- The forgotten history of New York’s first electric taxi fleet—in the 1800sThe forgotten history of New York’s first electric taxi fleet—in the 1800s
- Your khaki pants have a history that may surprise youYour khaki pants have a history that may surprise you
Science
- Will additions to mammograms save lives? Doctors can't agree.Will additions to mammograms save lives? Doctors can't agree.
- This is the biggest health threat to women in their 60sThis is the biggest health threat to women in their 60s
- How being the oldest or youngest sibling shapes your personalityHow being the oldest or youngest sibling shapes your personality
Travel
- Inside the summer festival that brings giant lanterns to lifeInside the summer festival that brings giant lanterns to life
- Why you should visit Victoria, Vancouver's little sisterWhy you should visit Victoria, Vancouver's little sister
- 9 ways to experience Canada’s natural beauty
- Travel
- Destination Guide
9 ways to experience Canada’s natural beauty - Are these the most dramatic coastal paths in the UK?
- Paid Content
Are these the most dramatic coastal paths in the UK?