Thanksgiving.
Homemade pumpkin pie. Roasted turkey filled with stuffing. Harvesting the last of a veggie garden. Happiness and thankfulness shared together with relatives.
That is what I think of when I think of Thanksgiving. Now you may be thinking, “But Thanksgiving is in November!” Well, in Canada, we celebrate it on the first Monday in October (Columbus Day in the US). Why? Canada has an earlier harvest season than the US, so it makes sense for us to celebrate it in early October rather than late November. We also celebrate a bit differently. Generally, in Canada Pilgrims are not mentioned in Thanksgiving celebrations.
Thanksgiving in Canada was supposedly started by Martin Frobisher, an explorer who tried to find a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean (which was later discovered and is now called the Northwest Passage). His Thanksgiving was a formal ceremony giving thanks for his safe return home. Canadian Thanksgiving origins can also be credited to the French settlers who came to New France in the early 17th century with Samuel de Champlain. Their Thanksgiving was like modern Thanksgiving in that it celebrated a successful harvest. On January 31, 1957, the government announced “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 is an opportunity to give thanks for the many things which we are so lucky to have and to share our joy and happiness with others. It is also a time to remember those who are less fortunate than us and do not have a safe place to come home to. Many foodbanks and soup kitchens also hold special dinners for Thanksgiving.
Although you may not be celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, you should try to be thankful all year round! Some ideas to celebrate are donating to food banks, volunteering at your favourite non-profit organization and just being thankful for all you have!
What’s your favourite part about Thanksgiving? How will you be thankful? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Homemade pumpkin pie. Roasted turkey filled with stuffing. Harvesting the last of a veggie garden. Happiness and thankfulness shared together with relatives.
That is what I think of when I think of Thanksgiving. Now you may be thinking, “But Thanksgiving is in November!” Well, in Canada, we celebrate it on the first Monday in October (Columbus Day in the US). Why? Canada has an earlier harvest season than the US, so it makes sense for us to celebrate it in early October rather than late November. We also celebrate a bit differently. Generally, in Canada Pilgrims are not mentioned in Thanksgiving celebrations.
Thanksgiving in Canada was supposedly started by Martin Frobisher, an explorer who tried to find a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean (which was later discovered and is now called the Northwest Passage). His Thanksgiving was a formal ceremony giving thanks for his safe return home. Canadian Thanksgiving origins can also be credited to the French settlers who came to New France in the early 17th century with Samuel de Champlain. Their Thanksgiving was like modern Thanksgiving in that it celebrated a successful harvest. On January 31, 1957, the government announced “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 is an opportunity to give thanks for the many things which we are so lucky to have and to share our joy and happiness with others. It is also a time to remember those who are less fortunate than us and do not have a safe place to come home to. Many foodbanks and soup kitchens also hold special dinners for Thanksgiving.
Although you may not be celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, you should try to be thankful all year round! Some ideas to celebrate are donating to food banks, volunteering at your favourite non-profit organization and just being thankful for all you have!
What’s your favourite part about Thanksgiving? How will you be thankful? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
(This is an article I wrote for Newmoon.com.)
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