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So is Thanksgiving as big of a deal in Canada (anglo-canada of course, I know french-canadians don't care) as it is in the US? Any unique thanksgiving traditions in Canada or is it just similiar to the US (football and parades)? Does the whole family get together to celebrate it as in the US? Oh and by the way I know that the dates are different, Thanksgiving in Canada is in October not November, so don't mention this as one of the differences.
Well the USA did start thanksgiving but I'm guessing everything is similar, similar cultures and everything.
No. The first Canadian thanksgiving pre-dates the US by 40 years. And even so, Thanksgiving (in some form) have been celebrated by many different cultures for centuries .
Back to the OP, Thanksgiving in Canada is not a big deal like it is in the US.
Last edited by Average Fruit; 07-22-2013 at 06:34 PM..
I think the only real similarity in it (besides getting stuffed to the gills with tons of food) between Canada and USA is that we both have a celebration called "Thanksgiving" rather than it going by different traditional names like in other countries. Thanksgiving didn't start in either Canada or USA.
There are many countries all around the world, including European countries, that celebrate a traditional thanksgiving feast but they all do it for various reasons and all by various names. Most of them had already been celebrating the 'thanksgiving' tradition for hundreds or even thousands of years before North America was discovered by Europeans. The 2 common denominators in nearly all of them is that they're acknowledging and giving thanks for blessings of some kind and they're celebrating it with a massively huge feast.
So it was other people in other countries that first started the 'thanksgiving' tradition and it's just natural that Canada and then USA would follow in their European forebears footsteps and continue with the tradition.
The first thanksgiving feast celebrated by a European in North America happened in Canada (in 1578) decades before the first thanksgiving celebration in USA (in 1621) and it was for a different reason than what the first American feast was for.
ETA: Ooops, I posted this before looking to see that Average Fruit had posted basically the same information, only in less words.
Well the USA did start thanksgiving but I'm guessing everything is similar, similar cultures and everything.
Zoiste makes good points about Thanksgiving in general, but the first Thanksgiving in North America was not in the U.S. since it didn't exist yet, or in Canada since Canada didn't exist yet. However the first one did take place in what is now Canada.
The U.S. Thanksgiving and the Canadian Thanksgiving have some things in common, but not all. In Canada it's not about pilgrims, but about the harvest ( October marks the end of harvesting ) and giving thanks for what you have. In the U.S. they do acknowledge the harvest, but also that who pilgrim thing.
In the U.S. it's a mad dash to have Thanksgiving with your family by travelling almost anywhere in the country to be with them, in Canada not so much.
Interesting is that the U.S. declared it a national day when the U.S. was 86 years old, Canada made it a national day when Canada was 90 years old....
Zoiste makes good points about Thanksgiving in general, but the first Thanksgiving in North America was not in the U.S. since it didn't exist yet, or in Canada since Canada didn't exist yet. However the first one did take place in what is now Canada.
The U.S. Thanksgiving and the Canadian Thanksgiving have some things in common, but not all. In Canada it's not about pilgrims, but about the harvest ( October marks the end of harvesting ) and giving thanks for what you have. In the U.S. they do acknowledge the harvest, but also that who pilgrim thing.
In the U.S. it's a mad dash to have Thanksgiving with your family by travelling almost anywhere in the country to be with them, in Canada not so much.
Interesting is that the U.S. declared it a national day when the U.S. was 86 years old, Canada made it a national day when Canada was 90 years old....
Oh okay I see what you two are sayingThx for the info.
I have lived in both and it's a way bigger celebration in the US than in Canada.
I'd rank July 4th and Thanksgiving as the two biggest holidays in the US.
For Canada i'd go with Easter and Christmas
I agree also.
I remember one of my first Easter's in NYC. We arrived on Good Friday and my Mom and I were shock that it was business as usual. Even more surprised when I moved down to " buckle of the bible belt" it was just another day.
Turkey is really cheap around Thanksgiving in the States i was down there a couple years ago and i paid $20 for a 25 pound turkey in Canada last year i paid $45 for the same size.
Turkey is really cheap around Thanksgiving in the States i was down there a couple years ago and i paid $20 for a 25 pound turkey in Canada last year i paid $45 for the same size.
That's a little cheap but most turkeys in the states are about 30 dollars.
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Thx for the info.
