Why do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October and what do they eat?

(CNN) – Devour, devour, grab your turkey baster, it's Thanksgiving.

Canadian Thanksgiving, that is.

Although the US version takes place on the fourth Thursday in November, Canada celebrates the second Monday in October, which falls on October 14th this year.

For more insight into this annual grand celebration, we turned to Andrew McIntosh, senior technical editor at the Canadian Encyclopedia.

Of course, we first had to answer a question often asked by Americans: Why does Canada celebrate Thanksgiving in October instead of November?

Historically, he says, Thanksgiving in Canada has generally been about celebrating the fall harvest and giving thanks for the food it provides before the cold season sets in.

“Winter comes much earlier in Canada, so our fall harvest comes earlier,” he says.

“Canadian Thanksgiving was set in 1957 on the second Monday in October, when the weather was still suitable for outdoor activities.”

But the country was celebrating long before that. The first official Thanksgiving holiday occurred in 1879 and in subsequent years it was not always held in October.

“The exact date for each year was set annually by Parliament, which also set a consistent theme each year – often centered around celebrating the monarchy,” says McIntosh.

Interestingly, he notes that the holiday only occurred on December 6th of the year and even coincided with American Thanksgiving on a few occasions.

As for today, some Canadians – including this author's extended family – are choosing to host their Thanksgiving meal the day before the official Monday holiday, giving those who traveled by car or plane over the long weekend time have to return home without having to travel an additional day off work.

Traditional Canadian Thanksgiving dishes

What do Canadians traditionally eat for Thanksgiving? On the surface, the foods don't seem all that different from those that will land on America's tables on November 28th.

That's because the U.S. has had a big influence on what Canadians eat, says McIntosh.

“Canadians have really embraced the traditional Thanksgiving dinner from America,” he adds.

“The traditional spread of turkey, gravy, potatoes, pumpkin and rolls, with cranberry sauce on the side and pumpkin pie for dessert, is very typical across Canada.”

However, he notes that there are some regional differences. After all, Canada is a vast country made up of dozens of cultures, each with their own culinary influences.

“In Newfoundland, jigg's dinner (a salted meat stew similar to corned beef that comes from Ireland) is often preferred to turkey, scalloped potatoes are preferred to mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce is used instead of gravy,” he says.

Meanwhile, he says some in Western Canada prefer eating ham and adding Brussels sprouts as a side dish.

“Many ethnic groups often offer some of their traditional dishes,” adds McIntosh.

“For example, indigenous peoples typically serve a side dish with bannock (a type of fried bread), while perogies and stuffed cabbage are Thanksgiving staples for many Ukrainian Canadians.”

It's all about the dessert

The real regional differences surrounding Thanksgiving in Canada tend to concern the sweet treats served at the end of the meal.

“The pie of choice is often accompanied by different desserts in different regions—after all, what is Thanksgiving but an excuse to eat as much as possible?” asks McIntosh.

As in the United States, pumpkin pie is still a staple in most parts of the country. But he notes that those celebrating Thanksgiving in Quebec and Atlantic Canada tend to prefer apple pie or apple chips.

“Ontarians love their butter tarts – they’re like mini pecan tarts, what’s not to love! – while people in the West prefer Nanaimo bars, which in the US are sometimes called smog bars or prayer bars,” he adds.

As for the province of Quebec, where French is the predominant language, McIntosh tells us a fun fact: most Quebeckers don't even celebrate Thanksgiving.

“In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Thanksgiving in Canada was primarily a Protestant affair and was often used as an excuse to thank the British monarchy – factors that alienated Catholic French Canadians,” he says.

“Anglo-Quebecians (a minority in the province) celebrate Thanksgiving, but immigrant communities in Quebec tend to adhere to the French-Canadian standard. A Chinese-Canadian colleague from Montreal told me: “We had Thanksgiving as a day off from school and never really understood why.”

McIntosh points out that while some Indigenous groups in the U.S. view Thanksgiving as a national day of mourning, Indigenous peoples in Canada “in general tend to experience Thanksgiving more similarly to English Canadians: as an opportunity to share good food and leisure with the people.” “To enjoy family.” ”

He adds: “There is still some tension in Canada around Thanksgiving, as well as anything that is in any way linked to the violent displacement and disenfranchisement of Indigenous peoples.”

However, he notes that Indigenous people in Canada also view Thanksgiving as a celebration of Indigenous foods produced before colonial settlement, “including turkey, pumpkin, corn and cranberries.”

“Winter is coming”

A big highlight of the holiday in the USA is of course the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. There are no celebrations of this magnitude in Canada, although there are some Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving events to mark the season, a time when the leaves are changing and cooler temperatures have set in.

For example, Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province, hosts the Fall Flavors event in late September/early October each year, a three-week celebration of the island's best local food and drink.

To the west of the town of Smoky Lake, also known as Alberta's “Pumpkin Capital,” you'll find the Great White North Pumpkin Fair. Held every October, it is famous for its various culinary and social events, including the dramatic Pumpkin Weigh Off. This year's winner reportedly weighed 2,137 pounds. No word on how many cakes you could make from this beast.

How about shopping? Are there any great bargains to be had? McIntosh, editor of the Canadian Encyclopedia, notes: “Canada doesn't have as big of a retail connection to the day as it does in the United States, where Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year.” In fact, stores in Canada are typically closed on Thanksgiving Day.

“It’s also not the biggest travel time of the year in Canada (we save that for Christmas),” he adds.

“But we often spend the holidays watching sports, mostly CFL (Canadian Football) and NHL games, and use the free time to prepare the house or cabin. It is Canada after all. Winter is coming.”

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