casseroles......update clear scan

Hi, I am from Canada also. Just wondering what parts of Canada all of you fellow Canadians are from. I grew up in London, then moved to Orillia and lived in a little town called Lagoon City, then I moved here to New Jersey. I really miss Canadian Thanksgiving - I don't get the day off here at my work, so I can't even go home to celebrate it. My husband always tries to make me a turkey dinner on that day for me (as he is off of work). Anyway - I also had someone ask me a very long time ago, what do Canadians have to be thankful for? I gave them the same answer as you. I also get why can't you celebrate your Thanksgiving the same time as us? Uhmm cause it's not the same day! Oh well, Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians - those of you celebrating have a piece of pumpkin pie for me, i like mine with whip cream.
Happy Thanksgiving !!!
Sandi

That was a great explanation and glad you wrote that. We are thankful to the Canadians also. Actually we are about 45 minutes west of Windsor. Happy Thanksgiving.

Kim

Hey Mags... here I am... now we just have to hunt down Canada Sue! :D

Both you and Anne gave a great explanation of Canadian Thanksgiving, but I see one or two must not have read all the messages because they are asking again what the difference is between the two (Canadian and American Thanksgivings). Well, can't say you didn't learn anything here :D Canadians are brought up with all the American holidays plus their own... but it always surprises me just how many Americans are not aware of Canadian holidays or the reasons for them. I guess that is a difference in the school systems... we had to learn about the US and US History, but American kids don't need to learn about their northern neighbours ;)

Anywho... here's a recap on Canadian Thanksgiving (I won't post an explanation of American Thanksgiving because I'm going to assume everyone knows about it other than maybe our Spanish and Australian semi-colons): :)

History and Origin of Canadian Thanksgiving

In Canada Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Unlike the American tradition of remembering Pilgrims and settling in the New World, Canadians give thanks for a successful harvest. The harvest season falls earlier in Canada compared to the United States due to the simple fact that Canada is further north.

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to an English explorer, Martin Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Orient. He did not succeed but he did establish a settlement in Northern America. In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now called Newfoundland, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. This is considered the first Canadian Thanksgiving. Other settlers arrived and continued these ceremonies. He was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada named after him - Frobisher Bay.

At the same time, French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, also held huge feasts of thanks. They even formed 'The Order of Good Cheer' and gladly shared their food with their Indian neighbours.

After the Seven Year's War ended in 1763, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving.

During the American Revolution, Americans who remained loyal to England moved to Canada where they brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada. There are many similarities between the two Thanksgivings such as the cornucopia and the pumpkin pie.

Eventually in 1879, Parliament declared November 6th a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday. Over the years many dates were used for Thanksgiving, the most popular was the 3rd Monday in October. After World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11th occurred. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day.

Finally, on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed...

"A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.

Sooooo, Canadian Thanksgiving has been the 2nd Monday in October since 1957, some 53 years now. It is NOT a religious holiday, so those who are not of a religious bent do not thank a God, but are grateful nonetheless for all the good they have in their lives, as well as the fact Canada does have plenty of bountiful harvests and natural resources (which more and more countries are eyeing all the time) :)

Huggggs and Thanksgiving munchies to all :)

Cheryl

Usually wet ones when I was a kid at the beach,they hurt more. Can I help it if isolation has turned the Queens english a little quaint. One of the Australian commentators interviewed a Canadian swimmer who had won two gold medals and he made the comment that he would be bigger than ben hur when he got home. Blank!!!!and silence. Poor guy wasn't sure if he'd just copped a mega insult. The Aussie had to assure him that it meant he would be a star. Honestly ,I mean WE all understood him :):)Ron.