Canada’s Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Canada is a harvest holiday on the second Monday of October. Giving thanks for the harvest has been marked in many forms for centuries, and Parliament set the modern date in 1957, proclaiming a day of general thanksgiving to be observed on the second Monday of October. It is a general holiday in Alberta, so the weekend becomes a three-day one.
Why October?
Canadian Thanksgiving falls earlier than the American one. The usual explanation is that the harvest comes earlier in a northern climate, so the thanks came earlier too. It is a separate holiday from US Thanksgiving, with its own history, and it is not tied to a single event.
How the date is worked out
Count the Mondays in October and take the second one. It lands between October 8 and October 14. The long weekend lets families travel on the Saturday and share the main meal on the Sunday or on the Monday itself, and many people choose whichever day suits them. The countdown ends at the first moment of that Monday on your device’s clock.
Traditions and weather
A typical meal includes roast turkey, stuffing, vegetables and pumpkin pie, though families bring their own dishes. Many communities collect food for food banks around the holiday, and the weekend is a popular time to see autumn colours or close up a cottage for the winter. The weather in mid-October can be changeable in Alberta, so allow for snow on the roads if you are travelling. If you are hosting, work backwards from the meal — thaw, shop, prepare, then roast — and use the countdown to see how long you have for each step.
Planning the meal
A large frozen turkey can take several days to thaw safely in the refrigerator, so the countdown helps you start on time. The countdown timer tracks cooking steps, and the clock keeps dinner on schedule. You can embed the countdown on a family or club page. Halloween follows two or three weeks later, and US Thanksgiving comes more than a month later.
More countdowns
Need a different date? Use the countdown to any date or count up with time since a date.
Questions
What date is Thanksgiving in Canada this year?
Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday of October, so it is always between October 8 and October 14. The countdown above always shows the next one, so it is right for the current year without any lookup.
Why is Canadian Thanksgiving in October?
The usual explanation is that the harvest comes earlier in Canada’s northern climate, so the day of thanks came earlier than in the United States. Parliament set the current date, the second Monday of October, in 1957.
Is Thanksgiving a statutory holiday in Alberta?
Yes. Thanksgiving Day is one of Alberta’s general holidays. How it applies to you can depend on your job and employer, so check the rules that apply to your workplace if you plan to be away.
Is Canadian Thanksgiving the same as American Thanksgiving?
No. They are separate holidays. Canada’s is on the second Monday of October and the American one is on the fourth Thursday of November. The two countries also have different histories for the day.