Canada’s Thanksgiving Day is observed on the second Monday of October.
Canadian Thanksgiving is a national holiday connected with gratitude for the harvest and the blessings of the past year. It is celebrated on the second Monday in October, earlier in the calendar than Thanksgiving in the United States, which occurs on the fourth Thursday of November.
The holiday’s history developed from European harvest customs, religious observances, and colonial thanksgiving days. In 1957, the Canadian Parliament formally proclaimed the second Monday of October as a day of general thanksgiving to Almighty God for the harvest.
Canadian celebrations commonly include family meals featuring turkey, seasonal vegetables, and pumpkin pie, although customs vary by household and region. The date is not simply a copy of the American holiday: Canada’s earlier timing reflects the country’s northern growing season and earlier harvest calendar.