🍂 Days Until Canadian Thanksgiving
There are
days until Canadian Thanksgiving (October 13)
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About Canadian Thanksgiving
Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October, earlier than its American counterpart due to the earlier harvest season in Canada. The holiday dates back to 1578 when explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony in Newfoundland to give thanks for safe passage. Like American Thanksgiving, it is centered around a family meal featuring turkey, stuffing, and seasonal vegetables. Canadians also use the long weekend for autumn outdoor activities and enjoying fall foliage.
How to prepare for Canadian Thanksgiving
Plan your Thanksgiving dinner menu by early October and coordinate who is bringing which dishes. Order a fresh turkey from your local butcher a week in advance for the best quality. The long weekend is perfect for fall activities — apple picking, corn mazes, and leaf-peeping drives are at their peak in most of Canada. If hosting, set the table the night before and prepare make-ahead desserts like pumpkin pie so the day itself is more relaxed.
Traditions and customs
Canadian Thanksgiving is a harvest festival held in October, when Canada's growing season ends earlier than in the U.S. Its roots are often traced to explorer Martin Frobisher's 1578 ceremony of thanks in what is now Nunavut. The meal mirrors its American cousin — turkey, stuffing, squash, and pumpkin pie — but the long weekend is more low-key, spent on fall drives, apple picking, and enjoying the peak autumn colors.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Canadian Thanksgiving?
- Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday of October, roughly six weeks earlier than the American holiday.
- Why is Canadian Thanksgiving earlier than American Thanksgiving?
- Canada's harvest arrives sooner because of its more northern climate, so its harvest festival is held in October rather than late November.
- Is Canadian Thanksgiving a statutory holiday?
- It is a statutory holiday in most provinces, but not in the Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, where it is optional.