Seasonal
A short history of Thanksgiving in Canada
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October and its history goes back to English explorer Martin Frobisher.
Frobisher had been trying to find a northern passage to Asia. Although he didn’t succeed, he did establish a settlement. In the year 1578, Frobisher held a formal ceremony in what is now Newfoundland to give thanks for surviving the journey. It was the first day of thanksgiving.
At the same time, French settlers arrived with explorer Samuel de Champlain and held huge feasts of thanks. They even formed “The Order of Good Cheer” and gladly shared their food with their Indian neighbors. In 1763, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of thanksgiving.
During the American Revolution, Americans who remained loyal to England moved to Canada and brought their thanksgiving customs with them including using the cornucopia and eating pumpkin pie.
In 1957, the second Monday of October was proclaimed “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”
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