I've been told (and I'm not the only one) that we, Canadians, were weird, because our Thanksgiving wasn’t at the same time as the States. Well, excuse us!
It made me think and to be honest for me Thanksgiving has never really been something big. I don’t really think it is, here, in Quebec anyway. I think it is more celebrated by the English-Canadian than the French ones. I might be mistaken, but in our family it was only an extra day off, nothing more. We never really did the turkey thing, etc. Turkey, for me, is at Christmas.
It made me think and to be honest for me Thanksgiving has never really been something big. I don’t really think it is, here, in Quebec anyway. I think it is more celebrated by the English-Canadian than the French ones. I might be mistaken, but in our family it was only an extra day off, nothing more. We never really did the turkey thing, etc. Turkey, for me, is at Christmas.
I did ask my mom if we ever celebrated it, and she seemed surprised by my question. Before dating my current husband, I had never really celebrated Thanksgiving. Since I’ve been with him, I’ve realised that some people do. I also noticed that those people are mostly English speaking or Hungarian (like Hubby), or Portuguese, but not French-Quebecer.
It hit me a few years back, while in Hawai'i in November how much celebrating it represented AND how crazy it was for shopping on that day. Unreal. Their Thanksgiving Sales were just like our Boxing Day Sales. Nuts!
I did some research and from what I remembered from school, our Thanksgiving isn’t related to Pilgrims etc., but more to the end of harvest. They would celebrate and gave thanks for what they had gathered. So, for that reason alone it makes sense that it is always the second Monday of October. You can read about it in Wikipedia, here.
Now does that make sense to my fellow American friends?
No? Oh well! Just keep going with the notion we’re weird then…
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Image: Sesame's Street
9 comments:
I think your right..it's never been a big deal like in the U.S. ..although it's treated as the last great long weekend by the cottagers... other than that the monday is an extra hangover recovery day....
Thanks for the info...saved me time looking it up !!! It all makes sense to me now, fellow weird Canadian ;-)
Maybe it's become a big deal because it's on a Thursday, so we automatically get a four-day weekend, instead of a single day off. And how else would we mark the beginning of the Official Holiday Shopping Season? Oh heck, it's because the only thing you have to do to "celebrate" is overeat. Hee.
I like Canadians no matter what. I don't think you guys get enough respect from your down under buddies. We ought to be better friends and neighbors. I could do a whole post on that, but I am not political enough.
nascar: First let me welcome you to my blog! And you're right about it being the last long weekend for the cottagers. Like you theory about the Monday off.
mousse: No problem, and we both give thanks for the harvest time! ;-)
lizgiwz: Maybe it is the 4 days vs only 1 here that gives it its importance. But it sure does open the Holiday Shopping Season in a big way for you guys.
wreckless: It's a good thing you're not political - I'm not either! Let's keep it that way, ok? Hee.
we've always celebrated Thanksgiving with a family get together and feast...and so has most of the people I know. My grandmother is French-Canadian but has lived in Ontario for all her life...and she's passed down the tradition. I like getting a turkey dinner with pumpkin pie more than once a year ;)
we've always done thanksgiving more as an excuse to get everyone together. not some huge big celebration.
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I get so embarrassed at how some American treat Canada. And since dumb people seem always to speak the loudest- and more than anyone else we all get stamped with the "boorish" sticker. Celebrate what you want- when you want. Enjoy the time off. Love the people you are with.
kim: Glad to read you do enjoy it - some traditions should be kept, right? :-)
molly: Any excuse to get together and eat is good in my book! ;-)
monkey: Thank you! Will do!
ananke: You funny gal! ;-)
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