The people of Canada celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. On the other hand, America celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. Also In Canada, instead of eating turkey they have ham or lamb and they used to have La tourtiere, a pastry pie filled with potatoes, rabbit or hare and partridge or pheasant.  Thanksgiving is celebrated to thank the Lord Almighty for a bountiful harvest.

History of First Canadian Thanksgiving

In Canada, The first Thanksgiving was celebrated on 15th April 1872. The festival was celebrated to thank the recovery of King Edward VII from a serious illness. The next Thanksgiving was celebrated after a few years in 1879 on Thursday.

Canada later had a turbulent time deciding the day of national Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was celebrated on Thursday in November between 1879 and 1898. Later it was celebrated on a Thursday in October between 1899 and 1904. Thereafter, it was celebrated on Monday in the month of October. This was between the periods of 1908-1921.

Thanksgiving came to be celebrated on 'Armistice Day' in later years. This was however, amended in 1931.

The Parliament announced the second Monday in the month of October as the official 'Thanksgiving Day' on January 31, 1957. It was declared as "A day of general Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest “.

Canadian Thanksgiving Celebration

People celebrate Thanksgiving Day having parades, customary 'family feast' and 'turkey'. It is a time for sharing, loving and family reunions. The main thing behind the celebration is to be thankful for the past harvest and praying for the coming year.