Canadian Thanksgiving

In my defense, the reason I haven't been able to do a post in a while is because I've been busy. School started September 1st, and since then my day has been packed.

6:30 Wake Up and Get Ready
7:00 Eat Breakfast
7:20 Leave for School
8:00-3:20 School. The highlight of my day. (That was sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell.)
3:45-6:00 Cross Country
6:30 Eat dinner
7:15 Homework
9:00 Bed

Don't freak out at me for going to bed early. I need sleep. 3+ miles a day wears me out, all right?!

So yeah. I hope everybody's school year has been going well. Mine's been, well, intersting. I have a teacher who talks about his ex-girlfriends ALL THE TIME. Most of them don't even tie in to what we're talking about.

I know that he kinda sounds like a fun teacher, but he's actually pretty strict. Last week, he held me after class to lecture me because I circled my answers instead of boxing them in. And I am SO not making that up.

Oh hey, guess what?! I saw a freshman get trash canned the first day of school!

Then again, he kinda had it coming. He was making fun of a senior varsity football player's haircut. Hehe. Smart move. (That was sarcasm, too.)

Well, I guess you're wondering what the heck the title of my post is about. Yesterday was Thanksgiving in Canada.

"But wait a minute Kim! Thanksgiving is an American holiday, right?"

Yep. I mean, since when do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving, the day our first president was born???

That was a joke, by the way.

So I Googled "Canadan Thanksgiving." They asked me if I meant "Canadian Thanksgiving." I said "yes."

Here were the results:
Looking for Canadian Thanksgiving? Find exactly what you're looking for today!
Thanksgiving (Canada)- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pumpkin Bread Recipe for Canadian Thanksgiving
What is Canadian Thanksgiving, Anyway?

I picked that last one. It was pretty much a Q&A.

So, when is it?

It's the second Monday in October.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Thanks.

Why is it called Canadian Thanksgiving?

It's not. In Canada, it's just called Thanksgiving.

But why is it so early in the fall?

Because Canada is colder and the harvest ends sooner.

If you were in Canada with your family, what would be for dinner?

Same stuff: turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, and mashed potatoes, which, if you're my grandmother, you mix with turnips. Also, candied yams. And pumpkin pie for dessert.

Does everyone crowd around the TV after dinner to watch football?

The guys do, yeah.

Is it always on October 11th?

No. Since 1957, it's been celebrated on the second Monday in October. Before that, it was celebrated on November 11, which is the date of another mysterious Canadian holiday called Remembrance Day, when you make sure to call your grandfather, or anyone else you know who fought in a war. Long before it had National Holiday status, however, the harvest was celebrated by natives.

What's the holiday all about?

It's a celebration of the harvest, where you give thanks (to God, technically) for all the food you get to eat. For the most part, it's celebrated as a secular holiday, though.

What about settlers and Pilgrims—are they involved?

According to Google, the first Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1578 when a lost English explorer named Martin Frobisher landed in what is now the butt of many Canadian jokes—Newfoundland. But as a public-school-educated kid who was taught all kinds of Canadian things growing up, that's the first I've ever heard of it, or him.

So, really, it's all about the food.


Yeah.

Do Canadians have their big dinner on the actual day of Thanksgiving?

Canadians are practical and Monday is a school night, so usually not. The big dinner is traditionally the night before, on the Sunday.

Are things closed on Thanksgiving like they are in the Unites States?

Yes, although if you live in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, or Prince Edward Island it's not a statutory holiday, which means it's not a paid day off. But most stores are closed.

Is the day after Thanksgiving the biggest shopping day of the year?

Nope. That would be Boxing Day, yet another mysterious Canadian holiday, which is the day after Christmas. It's when everyone returns the stuff they got for the stuff they actually want, but for cheaper.

That was very helpful. (Not sarcasm.)

Kim

P.S. One of the comments on the article said, "Canadian Thanksgiving is the day when all the Canadians give thanks they're not American." Hehe. Good one.

Source: O'Connor, Siobhan. "What is Canadian Thanksgiving, Anyways?." GOOD (2010): n. pag. Web. 12 Oct 2010. .

Hey, I don't want to get arrested for plagiarism, alright?