Thanksgiving (Canada)

About Thanksgiving (Canada)

Thanksgiving, known in French as Action de graces, is a Canadian harvest festival held on the second Monday of October. It is a day to give thanks for the autumn harvest and other blessings of the past year. A statutory holiday in most provinces, it falls earlier than its American counterpart, reflecting Canada's shorter growing season and earlier harvest.

Families gather for a large meal centered on roast turkey, typically served with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. The autumn timing brings squash, corn, and other seasonal produce to the table. Many people spend the long weekend traveling, enjoying fall foliage, or attending church services, and the holiday is a chance to reconnect with relatives before winter.