Canadians are filled with excitement as October 13, 2025, approaches, marking the celebration of Thanksgiving throughout the country.
Every year, Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday of October.
This Canadian holiday in autumn is held in alignment with the agricultural calendar, marking the symbolic end of the harvest season.
Moreover, the day is celebrated to express appreciation or gratitude for the family, wealth, or blessings received throughout the year.
Thanksgiving Day in Canada was first begun on January 31, 1957, when the Governor General Vincent Massey issued a proclamation stating that said, “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed- to observe on the second Monday in October.”
In 1604, the French settlers who crossed oceans and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain also held feasts of thanks with local individuals.
However, the official date was changed several times over the years since it was established, the thanksgiving holiday or Action de Grâce in the French, was formalized in Canada in 1879 and has been celebrated every year since then.
Thanksgiving in Canada is a national statutory holiday in most provinces, although is an optional holiday for workers in other Atlantic provinces like New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.
Thanksgiving in Canada is all about food, family, and games. The festival is celebrated with a different theme every year.
In Canada, the Thanksgiving tradition is more focused on cultural diversity and gratitude as a universal value.
The Thanksgiving theme in Canada for 2025 is titled “Harvest and Multiculturalism."
The 2025 theme mainly involves celebrating autumn harvest while acknowledging the importance of family, community, and being thankful for the rights and freedom in the country.
Unlike the official Thanksgiving parades in the U.S., Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving more like an intimate event, with homes and churches decorated with ambient lighting and elegant decorations, followed by family gatherings.
People often call Thanksgiving in Canada "Turkey Day."
The holiday is likely a family event that begins with a long weekend, featuring traditional dinners of roasted turkeys, cranberry juice, and pumpkin pies, along with seasonal fruits and veggies.
Besides adoring tasteful feasts, people also enjoy outdoor activities on National holidays such as hiking, picnicking in parks, or cherishing local parades as the "Kitchener-Waterloo Thanksgiving Day parade."
While Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated in October, people often confuse this event with America’s Thanksgiving Day, which is celebrated much later and usually falls on the fourth Thursday in November.
