Every year families and friends gather together for food and companionship for Thanksgiving. It is kind of a weird tradition when you think about it. As a farmer I always understood Thanksgiving to be a time to celebrate the end of harvest. I never really thought about how it started.
According to Wikipedia the first Thanksgiving Day recorded happened in 1578, an explorer from England named Martin Frobisher dedicated a day for giving thanks to God for his safe arrival to the New World.
Refugees fleeing the civil war in the United States brought the tradition of celebrating an annual thanksgiving festival to Canada in the 18th century. The date varied and usual had a different theme, most common was “Blessings of an abundant harvest.”
The first official day of Thanksgiving was created on January 31, 1957. The Canadian Parliament had declared “A day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed-to be observed on the second Monday in October.”
For most people, Thanksgiving has turned into a time to be with family more then a time to give thanks to God for the end of harvest. The food part has remained pretty much the same. Turkey has always been a huge part the meal since the 1800s (in the 1920s’ wild turkey almost became extinct because of over enthusiastic hunters), as well as potatoes, carrots, gravy and cranberry sauce. I noticed that oyster stew, apparently popular back in the day, has not stayed traditional.
I am immensely excited for Thanksgiving. I have always enjoyed this holiday and love how people around Canada all make time to sit down together and remember what is important in life. For me, I am extremely thankful for the privileged country I live in and the amazing family and friends God has blessed me with.
Happy Holidays!