Thanksgiving Day (Jour de
l'Action de grâce in Canadian French) is a national
holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving
thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other
places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the
fourth Thursday of November in the USA and on the second Monday of October in
Canada. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in
religious and cultural traditions, and has long been celebrated in a secular
manner as well.
What do people do?
Thanksgiving Day is national
public holiday in Canada. Many people have the day off work and all schools and
post offices are closed. Many stores and other businesses and organizations are
also closed. Public transport services may run to a reduced timetable or may
not run at all.
They often use the three-day
Thanksgiving weekend to visit family or friends who live far away, or to
receive them in their own homes. Many people also prepare a special meal to eat
at some point during the long weekend. Traditionally, this included roast
turkey and seasonal produce, such as pumpkin, corn ears and pecan nuts. Now,
the meal may consist of other foods, particularly if the family is of
non-European descent.
The Thanksgiving weekend is
also a popular time to take a short autumn vacation. This may be the last
chance in a while for some people to use cottages or holiday homes before
winter sets in. Other popular activities include: outdoor breaks to admire the
spectacular colors of the Canadian autumn; hiking; and fishing. Fans of the
teams in the Canadian Football League may spend part of the weekend watching
the Thanksgiving Day Classic matches.
A little bit of history ;)
The native peoples of the
Americas held ceremonies and festivals to celebrate the completion and bounty
of the harvest long before European explorers and settlers arrived in what is
now Canada. Early European thanksgivings were held to give thanks for some
special fortune. An early example is the ceremony the explorer Martin Frobisher
held in 1578 after he had survived the long journey in his quest to find a
northern passage from Europe to Asia.
Many thanksgivings were held
following noteworthy events during the 18th century. Refugees fleeing the civil
war in the United States brought the custom of an annual thanksgiving festival
to Canada. From 1879, Thanksgiving Day was held every year but the date varied
and there was a special theme each year. The theme was the "Blessings of
an abundant harvest" for many years. However, Queen Victoria's golden and
diamond jubilees and King Edward VII's coronation formed the theme in later
years.
From the end of the First
World War until 1930, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving Day were celebrated
on the Monday closest to November 11, the anniversary of the official end of
hostilities in World War I. In 1931, Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day
and Thanksgiving Day was moved to a Monday in October. Since 1957, Thanksgiving
Day has always been held on the second Monday in October.
Symbology
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 cornucopia, which means "Horn of Plenty" in Latin,
was a symbol of bounty and plenty in ancient Greece. Turkeys, pumpkins, ears of
corn and large displays of food are also used to symbolize Thanksgiving Day.
Well, there is only one thing I
can say: Happy Thanksgiving to everybody in Canada!!!
Happy Thanksgiving Day, Canada! Thank you so much for being my best friend!
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