Canadian Thanksgiving

Background of Thanksgiving 

It's that time of year the trees are turning red and brown, the days are getting shorter and the temperature is dropping. In Canada thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October annually. But many families celebrate it on the Sunday and rest on the Monday. Usually the weather is mild or a little cold but rarely there is snow on the ground for Canadian thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving in Canada is a family affair and many families travel far to meet each other on this holiday. The whole weekend is usually full of festivities and meals with a feast on the Sunday or Monday to cap of the weekend.

The Food

 

The thanksgiving day feast is usually the highlight of the weekend. The vast majority of feasts include turkey as the meat of choice. However, ham and chicken can be substituted as the main meat with beef rarely being used. The side dishes vary from family to family but stuffing, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes are the most common sides.

The desert consists almost always of a pumpkin pie which is widely available during the prelude to thanksgiving as it is a fall dish. In the past pumpkin pie was hard to buy outside of the thanksgiving season but today it can be found year round at some markets.

The beverages can consist of any hot liquid including hot chocolate or apple cider. In recent years egg nog has made an appearance as the drink of choice for a lot of Canadian families.

The Festivities

The thanksgiving weekend includes activities and games too. Weather permitting a lot of kids will be outside playing football or soccer and raking leaves and jumping in them. It is a fun time as it's a long weekend and usually the last time you meet your family before the Christmas season so people catch up with each other and have a great time conversing. If the weather is bad usually indoor activities like games and board games are played. The whole weekend is a fun time to spend with your family.

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