Thanksgiving Customs in Canada



Posted: Monday, November 10, 2008

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It is traditional in many countries of the world and since many centuries, after the harvest, to show gratitude to Mother nature for its bounteousness through a wonderful banquet. In Canada, family gathering for 24 hours of enjoyment is easier than anywhere else in the world. Indeed, the official Thanksgiving Day in Canada is on a Monday but Canadians commonly use the entire weekend to celebrate this holiday.

Canadian customs include the main meal as well as a relaxing moment watching the popular "Thanksgiving Day Classic" football competition. If the Canadian Football League offers a double schedule of games for Thanksgiving day, it is to avoid confusion with the American version of football. A rotation schedule will determine which team will play which match on the Thanksgiving Day. Indeed, the teams playing only two times in the year on a Monday, such a timetable was crucial.

Besides such indoor activities as the family gathering and watch the football competition, the Thanksgiving weekend is generally used as the last big outdoor extravaganza.

Either watching or participating to the many Thanksgiving Day parades that are such an entire part of the festivities will get one out of the house and during the last days of summertime.

During the Thanksgiving weekend Canadians have their last outside escapade before the coming of the hard winter. Before the cold arrives, that time of the year is perfect to admire the many outstanding colors of fall, have an excursion or even go fishing.

While the Thanksgiving Day celebration is a lay feast, people with a spiritual mind have their own Thanksgiving traditions that they partake of in their churches. Churches are decorated with pumpkins, cornucopias, wheat sheaves, corn ears and gourds inspired by the traditional old European harvest festivities. There are special scriptural texts and hymns that are emphasized at this time of the year to celebrate the harvest and their thankfulness to their God for providing for them.

Whether spiritual or secular, Thanksgiving is the best excuse for people to celebrate and appreciate all the things they have and remember that long ago peoples were less fortunate than now.

D. Halet is an European history, Holidays and Tarot Cards passionate; she writes articles and creates websites dedicated to these subjects.For more info Thanksgiving, visit Grateful Thanksgiving and receive a Free Grateful Thanksgiving Guide.

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