Thanksgiving
🇨🇦 Canada
- Public Holiday
- Countrywide
- Fixed date
Overview
Thanksgiving in Canada is an annual holiday of gratitude held at the close of the harvest season. It falls on the second Monday of October, and although its roots include religious thanksgiving, it is today mostly celebrated in a secular way.
What It Is
Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday in October, which in 2026 is October 12. It is a statutory holiday in all provinces except New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where businesses may stay open although the holiday is still recognized and celebrated. Although the original act of Parliament refers to God and some people attend church, the day is mostly celebrated in a secular manner, usually around a family meal that often features turkey.
Why It Matters
Canadian Thanksgiving has no single agreed origin. Some historians point to the 1578 voyage of Martin Frobisher, while others note that French settlers in New France held harvest feasts and shared food with Indigenous neighbors. Later arrivals added their own customs: settlers from New England brought autumn thanksgiving celebrations to Nova Scotia after 1700, and Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution introduced elements such as the turkey. In 1859 the government of the provinces of Canada asked residents to spend a day in public recognition of God's mercies, helping link the harvest festival to a wider tradition of gratitude.
Holiday in Context
Canada is one of several places with a Thanksgiving holiday, along with the United States, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and Norfolk Island, each on its own autumn date. In 2026 Canada's holiday falls on the same Monday as Columbus Day in the United States, giving both sides of the border a long weekend.
Countries Celebrating
1 country
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