Canada celebrates Thanksgiving to give thanks for the harvest and blessings of the past year, a tradition that began long before it became a national holiday. Indigenous peoples in Canada had harvest festivals long before European settlers arrived, giving thanks for the bounty of the land.
The first European-style Thanksgiving in Canada is often traced to 1578, when English explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony in present-day Newfoundland to thank God for safe passage across the Atlantic.
This happened decades before the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving in the U.S. As settlers spread across Canada, harvest celebrations became common in farming communities, marking the end of the growing season and giving thanks for a successful harvest.
The first official Thanksgiving was declared in 1872, celebrating the recovery of the Prince of Wales from illness. Over time, it became a regular autumn holiday focused on gratitude and the harvest.
In 1957, the Canadian Parliament fixed the date as the second Monday in October, declaring it:
“A day of general thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”
Today, Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving by gathering with family and friends, sharing meals (often turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie), and reflecting on what they’re thankful for. Because Canada’s harvest season ends earlier than in the U.S., the holiday takes place about six weeks earlier than American Thanksgiving.