Thanksgiving (Canada)

Thanksgiving
Shopping for pumpkins for Thanksgiving in Ottawa's ByWard Market in 1991
Observed byCanada
TypeCultural
SignificanceA celebration of being thankful for what one has and the bounty of the previous year.
CelebrationsSpending time with family, feasting, religious practice, football (Thanksgiving Day Classic)
DateSecond Monday in October
2023 dateOctober 9  (2023-10-09)
2024 dateOctober 14  (2024-10-14)
2025 dateOctober 13  (2025-10-13)
2026 dateOctober 12  (2026-10-12)
FrequencyAnnual
Related toTraditional harvest festivals practiced historically in Britain and France, Thanksgiving in the United States

Thanksgiving (French: Action de grâce) or Thanksgiving Day (French: Jour de l'Action de grâce), is an annual Canadian holiday held on the second Monday in October.[1] Outside the country, it may be referred to as Canadian Thanksgiving to distinguish it from the American holiday of the same name and related celebrations in other regions.[2][3][4]

Thanksgiving has been officially celebrated as an annual holiday in Canada since November 6, 1879.[5] While the date varied by year and was not fixed, it was commonly the second Monday in October.[5]

On January 31, 1957, the Governor General of Canada Vincent Massey issued a proclamation stating: "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the second Monday in October."[6]

  1. ^ Sismondo, Christine (October 5, 2017). "The odd, complicated history of Canadian Thanksgiving". Macleans.ca. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  2. ^ "What is Canadian Thanksgiving (or L'Action de grâce) and what foods are commonly enjoyed by locals?". salon.com. October 9, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  3. ^ "Canadian Thanksgiving: Dates and Traditions". farmersalmanac.com. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  4. ^ "6 ways Canadian Thanksgiving is different from the US holiday". cnn.com. October 7, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Thanksgiving Day Archived October 12, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Canadian Encyclopedia
  6. ^ Kelch, Kalie (August 27, 2013). Grab Your Boarding Pass. Review & Herald Publishing Association. p. 12. ISBN 9780812756548. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2018.