Thanksgiving in Canada

Thanksgiving in 2024 is Monday, October 14.

Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year and it's an official statutory holiday - except in PEI, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia - however federally regulated institutions do observe Thanksgiving in those provinces too. In the US thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November.

The original idea is to give thanks for the past harvest season but for many Canadian families the tradition has changed over time and the focus is now to get together with family and eat a large turkey dinner. Apple cider is a must for any traditional thanksgiving celebration as well as turkey stuffing and pumpkin pie.

The first Thanksgiving holiday was held in Canada in 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of Wales from a serious illness. After 1879 celebrations were held every year but not always in October - it used to be observed around Armistice Day in November.

At the Crawford Lake conservation area (Milton, ON) a path around the lake has pictures and short stories of native people and their celebrations. One of the stories is about thanksgiving; it starts with this sentence:

"Thanksgiving to native indians was a way of everyday life rather than a one-day celebration."

Take a few minutes to think about this quote. Thank you.

Back to the list of Canadian statutory holidays.

Share your holiday story, idea or comments

What are your plans for the thanksgiving long weekend? What did you do last year? What are you favourite activities in October? Do you have any comments or ideas related to thanksgiving in Canada?

Post your comments

Recent comments
Posted by Karen:

I have to work this Thanksgiving, as I always will and do. I am, however, thankful for my job that puts food on my table, that I share with my son. I'm thankful for the great boss that I have who understands all of my trials. I celebrate Thanksgiving almost every day.

Posted by KatiesFan:

Katie is such a good person omg. Everyone else is bad and she's the best.

Posted by Anonymous :

So glad I can be thankful without eating a dead animal or believing in an invisible man in the sky ????

Posted by Kailey :

The mentality of bill is frankly the most disgusting mentality found in Canadians today. Hopefully it will be reformed. As for Thanksgiving Katie is right. And finally for Lee, the very nature of being thankful is to be thankful to something or someone and about something. So yes part of being thankful is to be grateful to God who provided us with these things.

Posted by Cade:

I would like to thank Katie as a fellow albertan for showing us what ndp scum looks like, she is grateful for being white which shows her racism. I would like to say that it is extremely interesting as a hard working albertan that someone alike Katie awnsers and brings racism into a holiday to celebrate farmers for raising bringing and harvesting our food and great old canola oil.

Posted by Trevor:

Only on the internet, I am able to find another argument where a bunch of whining Kens and Karens are offended by everything...all because I wanted to make sure I know when a long weekend is coming up. Get hobbies people...jesus.

View all comments