Thanksgiving in Canada
Celebrate with Family and Flowers
September 2020
Canadian Thanksgiving, the second Monday of October, is the annual holiday that celebrates the bounty of the fall harvest. The holiday is marked by family gatherings, festive fall flower displays, parades and often watching football on television. Thanksgiving is an official holiday in most parts of the country, with the exception of the Atlantic Provinces (Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.) Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the 2nd Monday of October. Though the official holiday is on Monday, families usually mark the occasion throughout the preceding weekend.
The History of Canadian Thanksgiving
Canadian Thanksgiving dates back to 1578, when the English explorer Martin Frobisher sailed for present-day Nunavut Territory with the intention of starting a settlement. The conditions in northern Canada were harsh then as they are today and one ship was lost in an ice storm. The others were scattered, but finally re-assembled at Frobisher Bay. This unlikely meeting was celebrated with a feast, which eventually turned into the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday.
Flower ideas for Canadian Thanksgiving
Typical Canadian Thanksgiving arrangements include pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks and seasonal flowers, such as mums, asters, sedum and Russian sage. Since the holiday celebrates the fall harvest, cornucopias filled with cascading vegetables and/or flowers are also popular. Fall flower arrangements make attractive Thanksgiving decorations as well as excellent hostess gifts if you are invited to a Thanksgiving dinner. Your local florist can help you create the perfect arrangement for your Canadian Thanksgiving Celebration!