Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

History of Thanksgiving in Canada

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to an explorer, Martin Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Orient. In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. The feast was one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in North America, although celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops had been a long-standing tradition throughout North America by various First Nations and Native American groups. First Nations and Native Americans throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Cree and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America [7]. Frobisher was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada named after him — Frobisher Bay.

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 First Nations neighbours.

After the Seven Years' War ended in 1763 handing over New France to the British, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving days were observed beginning in 1799 but did not occur every year. After the American Revolution, American refugees who remained loyal to Great Britain moved from the United States and came to Canada. They brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada. The first Thanksgiving Day after Canadian Confederation was observed as a civic holiday on April 5, 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness.

Starting in 1879 Thanksgiving Day was observed every year but the date was proclaimed annually and changed year to year. The theme of the Thanksgiving holiday also changed year to year to reflect an important event to be thankful for. In the early years it was for an abundant harvest and occasionally for a special anniversary.

After World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11 occurred. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays, and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day.

On January 31, 1957, the Canadian 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.[1]

From Wikipedia

My own experiences with Canada began in 1986. As my last family vacation, we drove north from San Francisco stopping in Portland and in Seattle to visit relatives along the way before arriving in Vancouver for the 1986 World Expo.

This incredible event was well attended by major corporations and governments of the world including huge pavilions from the USSR (a warehouse sized model of the Soviet Union complete with model trains that had to be seen from a catwalk above), the United States (a recreation of the up and coming International Space Station), Disney - (in essence, it was the entire Space Ship Earth ride from Epcot), and Belgium (entirely dedicated to Tintin - yay!). They had decent rides including a two loop roller coaster whose loops were in between two separate sections of a freeway, a really great log ride, and a giant parachute drop.

But the thing I remember most about Vancouver from that trip was Fog N Suds - a local brew pub that is still in existence. They had a FogNSuds burger there that is still one of the all time great burgers ever. It was basically two 1/2 lb patties served Big Mac style on a double decker bun, but with an additional deck that included a fresh off the grill sausage. The entire thing was bigger than my mouth and I literally had to crush the entire sandwich into a thin pulp just to fit it in my mouth. But not to worry, because while I was trying to satisfy my teenagerish stomach, I had plenty to keep me entertained as a local cheerleading squad was across the street in the parking lot in bikini's doing a car wash for charity. Ah, Canada... I will never forget thee.

I've been back to Vancouver once more, Victoria twice, and Toronto and Montreal once each. I really loved Toronto, but wasn't a big fan of Montreal. But overall, I've loved Canada every time I've visited. It seems to me like they're our nice, kind, and respectable neighbors to the North - the Ned Flanders of the North American Continent.

So, Hi-dee-hoe neighorette's... and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, eh!