By Malcolm McClintock | New Pelican Writer
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, our friends from the north will soon be making their annual pilgrimage to the warmer climes of South Florida. But they will have already celebrated a major holiday: Thanksgiving.
In the spirit of neighborly conviviality, let’s explore the differences between the United States and Canada when it comes to observing one of the most revered and sacred gathering times of the year.
To begin with, Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving a full month and a half before Americans (on the second Monday of October rather than the fourth Thursday of November). This means that in 2022 the occasion transpires on Oct. 10 in Canada versus Nov. 24 in the U.S. The Canadian date also happens to coincide with Columbus Day in America.
It is believed that the main reason for the time contrast is a result of Canada being located further north geographically and thus making harvest season arrive sooner.
Be what it may, the origins of Thanksgiving are not vastly dissimilar in both countries in that it is fundamentally an autumnal celebration of a hopefully bountiful harvest that will allow inhabitants to survive the hardships of winter.
However, in the U.S., the original 1621 celebration featured Mayflower pilgrims putting on a feast to thank the local native Americans for their help and to give praise to God for keeping them safe. On the other hand, it is thought that the first Canadian Thanksgiving was conducted by explorer Martin Frobisher in 1578 to thank God for his successful crossing of the Northwest Passage.
With respect to the meal itself, it is very similar between the two countries with turkey being the focal point. The gorgeously browned bird is generally accompanied by stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie.
Nonetheless, there are some minor differences in flavor and preparation. For example, American pumpkin pie tends to be sweet and is paired with custard or marshmallow, while in Canada, pumpkin pie is spicier, with ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.
Also, Canadians tend to use breadcrumbs for stuffing while in the U.S., stuffing (or dressing) can entail cornbread in the south, oysters in the east, and sometimes rice in the north.
The traditional Thanksgiving meal is on Thursday in the U.S. whereas in Canada the feast could be held on either Sunday or Monday.
Another interesting difference is that, in America, the day after Thanksgiving is characterized by massive shopping encouraged by retailer deals and discounts. The day is called “Black Friday” because traditionally that is the day when stores go from red to black (turn a profit) for the year. The Monday after Thanksgiving is called “Cyber Monday” because of the heavy online consumer activity that occurs on that day.
Canadian retailers tend to have reduced store hours or are closed altogether on this holiday.
Lastly, it may be surprising to Americans to learn that Canada also has a strong tradition of multiple professional football games for Thanksgiving. The NFL dominates in the U.S. while Canadians cheer on teams from the Canadian Football League.
Be it in the U.S. or Canada, the primary objectives of Thanksgiving will always remain friends, family, food, and fun.
