Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my Canadian Blogger Friends

 

 

We Canadians celebrate our Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October. The tradition of Thanksgiving started here even before the Pilgrims started in Plymouth. During the earlier times, the Canadian farmers used to fill a curved goat's horn, known as the Horn of Plenty or Cornucopia with fruits and grain to thanks for their bountiful harvest.

In 1578, an English navigator named Martin Frobisher held a feast to give thanks for surviving his long journey. He was settled in Newfoundland and as the other settlers arrived they continued this tradition. Around 1750, the American settlers in Canada, continued to celebrate the day in Nova Scotia. Simultaneously, the French settlers started arriving in Canada with their explorer Samuel de Champlain and held a grand feast of Thanksgiving where the settlers even invited the Indians. The citizens of Halifax, also held a special day for Thanksgiving after the sever years of war ended in 1763.

The Canadian Parliament declared 6^th November in 1879 as the Thanksgiving Day and a national holiday. With time the date changed to the third Monday in October but ultimately in 1957 on January 31^st the parliament proclaimed second Monday in October will be held as the Thanksgiving Day.