First Thanksgiving Day In Canada, When Is Thanksgiving 2019 Date Meaning Holiday Origins And How It S Celebrated In The Us And Canada

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.

Thanksgiving event calgary. Thanksgiving day in canada is linked to the european tradition of harvest festivals. A common image seen at this time of year is a cornucopia or horn filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables. The first national thanksgiving in canada was celebrated in the province of canada in 1859.

The thanksgiving holiday tradition in canada dates back to when the english explorer martin frobisher came upon the land we now know as canada while searching for a northern passage to the orient. Forty eight years later on november 14 1606 inhabitants of new france under samuel de champlain held huge feasts of thanksgiving between local mikmaq and the french. This is now accepted as the first canadian thanksgiving forty three years before the first american thanksgiving.

On january 31 1957 the canadian parliament proclaimed. The first thanksgiving day in canada after confederation was observed on april 15 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the prince of wales later king edward vii from a serious illness. The cornucopia which means horn of plenty in latin was a symbol of bounty and plenty in ancient greece.

When frobisher arrived in canada on his third voyage in 1578 he held a formal ceremony where he gave thanks for surviving the long journey one of his ships had been lost on the way. In 2012 canadians consumed 142 million kilograms 3124 million pounds of turkey or 41. Celebrated on the fourth thursday of november in the united states and on the second monday of october in canada thanksgiving is a national holiday.

Thanksgiving in canada originated purely as a harvest festival. Jour de laction de grace sometimes called canadian thanksgiving outside of canada to distinguish it from the american holiday of the same name is an annual canadian holiday occurring on the second monday in october which celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the past year. In 1957 the second monday of october was set as the consistent date for thanksgiving day in canada.

Action de grace or thanksgiving day french. It wasnt until 1879 that november 6th was officially set aside as a national day of. For 300 years thanksgiving was celebrated in canada in either late october or the first part of november.