Canadian Thanksgiving Matches an Earlier Harvest Season

The second Monday in October is always Canadian Thanksgiving. That puts it weeks ahead of American Thanksgiving, which falls on the fourth Thursday in November. The timing matches Canada's earlier harvest season, which wraps up sooner than in the U.S. because of its colder climate.

The day is a statutory holiday in most provinces, though not all. For example, it’s an official holiday in British Columbia, but not a statutory holiday in Atlantic Canada provinces such as New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador.

And unlike Thanksgiving in the U.S., which comes with parades and big sales, Canadian Thanksgiving is a quieter, more low-key event. Think long weekend, cozy sweaters, and butter tarts instead of marching bands and Black Friday lines.

The earliest recorded Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to 1578. English explorer Martin Frobisher held a feast in what is now Nunavut to thank God for a "strange and miraculous deliverance" from ice and freak storms during his search for the Northwest Passage.

That moment, marked by a godly sermon and simple meal, predates the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock by more than 40 years. Later, as settlers arrived from Great Britain and other parts of Europe, they brought harvest festivals and religious traditions with them.

Over time, the idea of giving thanks for a bountiful harvest became central. It wasn't until 1957 that the Canadian Parliament permanently set Thanksgiving as a national holiday on the second Monday in October.

Before that, it bounced around the calendar, sometimes even falling in late October or early November.

Today, Thanksgiving in Canada means food, family and, yes, football. The Canadian Football League (CFL) hosts a special Thanksgiving Day Classic, and many families gather to share a Thanksgiving meal.

The menu includes familiar dishes like roast turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. But it can also vary by region.

In Western Canada, you might see salmon served instead of turkey, while in Atlantic Canada (e.g., Newfoundland and Labrador), some families include salted beef (a form of corned beef) in their Thanksgiving dinner. In Nova Scotia, it's not uncommon to find butter tarts next to the pumpkin pie.

For many Canadians, the holiday is a chance to connect with family members during the long weekend. While federal employees get the day off, schools and some businesses may stay open in provinces where it's not a statutory holiday.

There are at least a couple key differences. First, the date. Canadian Thanksgiving lands on the second Monday in October, while American Thanksgiving hits the fourth Thursday in November.

Second, the history. American Thanksgiving often centers on the 1621 feast between Pilgrims and Indigenous people, while Canadian Thanksgiving traces back to Frobisher and harvest celebrations. That said, both holidays have deep ties to Indigenous peoples and agriculture.

And while American Thanksgiving is often seen as the kickoff to the holiday season—leading into Black Friday, Christmas and Boxing Day—Canadian Thanksgiving feels more like a standalone harvest festival.

From British Columbia to Frobisher Bay, many Canadians still mark the holiday by giving thanks to God, as the original declarations suggested. Others use it as a time to reflect on family, health or surviving serious illness.

The modern Thanksgiving feast may look a little different depending on where you are in Canada, but the heart of the holiday remains: pausing to appreciate what you have.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.