Moving to Canada and experiencing its rich traditions for the first time can be exciting, especially when it comes to celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving.
At Remitly, we know it’s important to connect with new customs and create meaningful memories, which is why we’ve put together this guide to help you celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with ease. Whether you’re hosting a feast, volunteering, or simply enjoying the autumnal weather, these tips will ensure your first Thanksgiving in Canada is unforgettable.
How to celebrate your first Canadian Thanksgiving
Understanding the significance of Canadian Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving has been a national holiday in Canada since 1879. It’s a statutory holiday in most Canadian provinces, and an optional one in the Atlantic provinces – Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It’s also not a popularly celebrated holiday in Quebec. While officially observed on the second Monday of October, many families celebrate on the preceding Saturday or Sunday.
The holiday has roots in Indigenous peoples’ and early European settlers’ harvest celebrations. In 1578, an English explorer named Martin Frobisher and his crew gave thanks and ate together in Frobisher Bay, in modern-day Nunavut. This is considered to be the first Thanksgiving celebration in North America.
However, Thanksgiving wasn’t routinely celebrated until 1872, when it was reinstated to celebrate the Prince of Wales recovering from a severe illness.
In modern times, the themes of Canadian Thanksgiving are about celebrating fall harvests and being thankful for what you have.
Key differences between Canadian and American Thanksgiving
Apart from the date when it’s celebrated and its origins, Canadian Thanksgiving has a few more differences to distinguish itself from its American counterpart:
- People don’t travel as far to see relatives.
- There’s no big post-Thanksgiving shopping day such as “Black Friday”.
- The food is a little different and varies by region. Cornbread or sweet potato casseroles, for example, are usually not served.
- In general, the holiday is a little more laid-back and less commercialized than in the US.
- While Americans see their Thanksgiving as a kick-off of the holiday season, Canadians see it as an opportunity to enjoy mild weather before the long winter.
However, there’s one similarity the two holidays share that may surprise you—as in the US, Thanksgiving is a huge day for (Canadian) football in Canada. The Canadian Football League hosts a doubleheader game on Thanksgiving Day called the Thanksgiving Day Classic.
Traditional customs and practices
As employers aren’t always required to give Canadians Thanksgiving Day off, many families and friends will gather the preceding weekend to spend time together and share a meal. During the feast, they often give thanks for all the good in their lives.
To embrace the spirit of Thanksgiving, many Canadians volunteer at a local food bank or community kitchen. It’s a great way to give back and connect with your community. And since the holiday falls before the beginning of the infamous Canadian winter, many people take advantage of the nice weather on Thanksgiving and go on a hike, take in the fall colours, or just enjoy the great outdoors.
Planning your Canadian Thanksgiving Meal
Popular dishes to include in your menu
The Canadian Thanksgiving menu is similar to the American Thanksgiving menu, as the US has heavily influenced what Canadians eat. Traditional holiday foods like turkey, gravy, potatoes, squash, rolls, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie are often found in many Canadian Thanksgiving spreads.
There are many regional variations, and Canadians from different backgrounds are encouraged to make traditional dishes from their cultures. Some of the most common regional or ethnic specialities are:
- Jiggs dinner, a salt meat stew similar to corned beef with Irish origins, is served instead of turkey in Newfoundland.
- Ham and brussels sprouts are preferred to turkey and squash in Western Canada
- Tourtière, a Québécois meat pie filled with potatoes and either minced pork, beef, or veal, is sometimes served in place of turkey.
- Maple-walnut layer cake and maple butter tart are popular desserts, particularly in Ontario.
- Nanaimo bars, treats made of wafer, chocolate ganache, nuts, coconut crumbs, and custard icing, are beloved in British Columbia.
- Bannock is a kind of fry bread that many Indigenous people serve instead of dinner rolls.
- Pierogies and cabbage rolls, eaten by Ukrainian Canadians.
- Stuffing in Canada is usually made with bread and rice, differing from American stuffing.
- Canadian pumpkin pie is spicier, with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger than American pumpkin pie which is typically sweeter.
How to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving turkey
While not every Canadian household eats turkey, it’s still a massive part of Thanksgiving. A little over half of Canadians say they eat it at Thanksgiving, and nearly a third of the birds purchased throughout the year are bought at Thanksgiving.
Preparing a whole turkey is time-consuming, but it can be easier than you think. Here are some tips to help you best prepare a turkey for your Canadian Thanksgiving:
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- If your turkey is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator (10 hours/kg) or by submerging it in cold water (for 2 hours/kg). Never cook a turkey directly from frozen.
- Brine the turkey by soaking it in a saltwater solution using a brining bag, plastic container, or covered pot.
- Preheat the oven to 177°C
- If you want to stuff the turkey, do it while the oven preheats. Allow 125ml of stuffing per 500g of turkey.
- Place turkey breast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
- Roast uncovered or loosely covered with foil.
- Your turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the inner thigh reads 77°C for a stuffed turkey or 82°C for an unstuffed turkey Any stuffing should be at least 74°C. Exact cooking times depend on the weight of the turkey, the oven, how many times the oven door is opened, and other factors, but even the smallest turkey will take at least two hours to roast.
- Remove the turkey and let it stand for 20 minutes to let the juices set.
Easy recipes for Canadian Thanksgiving
While there are tons of recipes out there for Canadian Thanksgiving, we wanted to highlight recipes that are easy to put together to make your first Canadian Thanksgiving fun and stress-free.
Start with some bacon-wrapped squash, mushroom tapenade, and a baked brie. If you don’t want turkey, you can make a pot roast or have a vegetarian lasagna. Serve it with apple-herb stuffing, make-ahead mashed potatoes and honey-glazed carrots.
For a simple dessert, you can make butter tarts, traditional Québécois maple fudge, or baked apples with ice cream. For drinks, you can whip up a punch that people serve themselves, either with alcohol or without.
Creating a festive atmosphere
Decorating your house for Thanksgiving isn’t required, but it can help create a festive atmosphere for you and your family. Here are some simple ideas:
- Front door: Make a Thanksgiving wreath.
- Indoor decor: Create a festive basket with squash and apples (which you can eat later!). Look for baskets at secondhand or thrift stores.
- Seasonal touches: Add branches, seasonal flowers, or pine cones to vases. Bake pine cones in a warm oven for a few hours to kill any bugs, then use them in garlands or displays.
- Colourful accents: Add dried orange slices to garlands for a pop of colour.
Get a tablecloth or placemats in autumnal colours – orange, brown, or burgundy. White or earth-toned dishware and flatware complement nicely. You can also make a cool Thanksgiving centrepiece.
To keep your home warm and inviting for family and guests, add some tea lights and battery-operated candles around the house and on the dining table to create a soft glow. Create personalized name tags for each of your guests’ spots at the table.
Celebrating gratitude: Thanksgiving in Canada
How to express gratitude on Thanksgiving
Ultimately, the spirit of gratitude is the reason most people celebrate Thanksgiving, and there are a variety of ways you can express it. Feeling gratitude can help you feel more connected to your life in Canada, and even improve your well-being.
To promote gratitude on Thanksgiving, you can:
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- Make a gratitude tree
- Start a gratitude jar
- Write e-mails or thank you notes to people you’re grateful for
- At dinner, go around and have everyone say what they’re grateful for.
You can also show gratitude towards strangers by getting involved in your community. As previously mentioned, many Canadians volunteer their time and money on Thanksgiving. You can
- Find local volunteer opportunities
- Give away items you don’t need or use
- Donate anonymously to a cause you care about
- Pay for the person behind you at the coffee shop or grocery store
Tips for first-time celebrants
Common questions about Canadian Thanksgiving
As a first-time celebrant, you may have a lot of questions about how to do Thanksgiving. We’ll try and answer some of the most common ones here:
When is Thanksgiving celebrated?: It’s observed on the second Monday of October, but many families host their dinner on the previous Saturday or Sunday.
What’s open on Thanksgiving Day? Typically, things like grocery stores, malls, and banks are closed on Thanksgiving Day. Major cities may be more likely to have open stores than more rural areas. Restaurants may be open, as some families prefer to eat in a restaurant instead of cooking.
Who celebrates Canadian Thanksgiving?: Most people in Canada celebrate Thanksgiving. However, the Atlantic provinces don’t celebrate it as widely, and in Quebec, it’s celebrated much less, due to Thanksgiving’s Protestant origins and Quebec’s Catholic majority.
Advice on making your Thanksgiving run smoothly
Plan your menu: Choose your dishes at least two weeks in advance. That way, you’ll have enough time to get everything together. If you’re hosting a potluck, assign dishes around two weeks in advance as well.
Make a timeline: Decide what day and time you’re having dinner and work backwards from there to decide when each dish has to be completed, taking into account your oven and refrigerator spaces.
Make some dishes ahead of time: Some foods, like pies, sauces, and baked veggies, can be made in advance without sacrificing quality. Cooking as many of these dishes as possible beforehand allows you to focus on critical tasks on the day, like preparing the turkey.
Set up the house and table the night before: This saves time on Thanksgiving Day, letting you focus on cooking and hosting. If you can’t set the table in advance, assemble everything you need for the table (platters, silverware, placemats, etc.) so you can quickly set it or ask someone to do so on Thanksgiving.
Accept help: If you can, ask a family member or close friend to be your sous-chef. They can help with any tasks, keep an eye on cooking times, and help plate and serve. If anyone offers to bring anything, suggest dishes or other items that will work with your menu. If you need any additional help, don’t be afraid to ask your guests—most will be happy to!
Plan for Thanksgiving leftovers: You’ll likely have a lot of leftovers after everyone’s had their fill. Have tupperware ready, or ask guests to bring their own to take food home at the end of the day. Don’t forget to keep some for yourself to make some tasty Thanksgiving leftover recipes.
How to be a great guest at Canadian Thanksgiving
- Respond promptly after being invited
- If you have any allergies or other food restrictions, let the host know in advance
- If you’re not sure what to wear, just ask!
- Don’t arrive too early or too late – 15 minutes after the stated time is ideal
- Bring something, even if the host says you don’t need to
- Try and avoid controversial conversation topics
- Offer to help, but if the host says no, don’t insist
- Avoid loitering around the kitchen while the host is cooking
- Try some of all the food on the table
- Put away your phone at dinner, if possible
- Send the host an email or handwritten thank-you note the day after
FAQ
How do you celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving?
Different people celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving differently. A big dinner with friends and family is the most common way to celebrate, but many Canadians take a hike or volunteer on Thanksgiving.
What is the traditional gift for Canadian Thanksgiving?
It’s not necessary to give people gifts during Thanksgiving, but if you’re attending someone’s meal, a hostess gift is always appreciated. Coworkers may also give each other small gifts. Maple syrup or other maple-flavoured items are a classic Thanksgiving gift.
What were the traditions of the first Thanksgiving?
Many Indigenous peoples in Canada have a history of harvest festival celebrations that predate the arrival of European settlers. The first Europeans to celebrate Thanksgiving in North America were Sir Martin Frobisher and his crew in 1578, who ate salted beef, biscuits, and mushy peas together in present-day Nunavut to celebrate their safe arrival to Canada.
How to do Thanksgiving for the first time?
There’s no one “right” way to celebrate Thanksgiving, but you can host a Thanksgiving dinner at home with friends and family. You can make a traditional meal with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Or, you can have a potluck where people bring their favourite dishes to share.