Autumn in North America is marked by the annual tradition of Thanksgiving. It’s a time when the nights grow longer, the air turns crisp, and leaves turn vivid shades of orange and red.
It’s a season to pause, reflect, and appreciate what we have. Families and friends gather to celebrate the harvest, share food, and express gratitude.
In Canada, Thanksgiving takes place each October, bringing people together through traditions old and new. This guide explores everything you need to know, from its origins and regional customs to modern, mindful ways to enjoy the long weekend.
Canadian Thanksgiving takes place on the second Monday of October. In 2025, that’s October 13th.
The feast and celebration mark the end of the harvest season and a moment to give thanks for abundance, food, and community connection.
Like many national holidays around the world, Thanksgiving is both celebratory and complex. Its historical roots are tied to colonialism, and it’s important to reflect on this part of Canada’s past even as we gather in gratitude.
Thanksgiving happens earlier in Canada than in the United States, mainly because Canada’s harvest season ends sooner due to longer winters. Beyond timing, there are also differences in how each country’s traditions began.
Canadian Thanksgiving began as a European-style harvest festival. American Thanksgiving traces back to the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people in Massachusetts—a story often romanticised and one that overlooks the lasting impact of colonisation.
Indigenous peoples across North America have long celebrated harvests and expressed gratitude for the land. These traditions have existed long before European settlers arrived. Today, Thanksgiving in Canada is largely secular, focused on food, family, and appreciation.
If you’re curious about how other Canadian holidays differ across cultures and provinces, see our guide to navigating public and multicultural holidays in Canada.
Today, Thanksgiving weekend is about food, togetherness, and slowing down. Families gather to share a feast and reflect on what they’re grateful for.
As Monday is a national holiday, many Canadians use the long weekend to plan family getaways to cottages, travel to see loved ones, gather in parks, or host family feasts at home. Friends often plan large dinners, with each person bringing a dish to share with everyone.
In rural communities, fires are lit, offering a place to gather outside in the cooler fall nights.
Community meals and charity events also form a big part of the celebration. Across Canada, soup kitchens and outreach centres host Thanksgiving dinners, and some restaurants offer free turkey meals to those in need.
Every region celebrates Thanksgiving a little differently, inspired by local harvests and traditions:
No Thanksgiving table is complete without comforting favourites that bring everyone together. Here are some of the most loved dishes enjoyed across Canada each October.
Bonus tip: include something regional, like cedar-planked salmon in British Columbia or wild rice from Manitoba, to add a local touch to your Thanksgiving table.
Thanksgiving is also about celebrating the beauty of autumn and time spent together. Try these fun activities below and make the holiday about more than just a big meal.
Early October is peak apple season across much of Canada. Families can spend a crisp afternoon wandering through orchards and picking their own fruit.
Tip: Bring a basket and enjoy a warm apple cider afterwards, as many farms press their own.
Pumpkin patches are a quintessential Thanksgiving outing, and are great for kids and photo ops alike.
Fun idea: Let everyone in the family pick a pumpkin to carve later that evening.
Corn mazes pop up across the country each fall, often as part of larger harvest festivals.
Tip: Go just before dusk for a little adventure, as most farms keep their mazes open into the evening.
Thanksgiving coincides with the height of the fall foliage season. It’s one of the best weekends of the year to explore Canada’s parks and trails, and enjoy vistas of Autumn leaves.
Pro tip: Pack a thermos of hot chocolate and turn your hike into a mini Thanksgiving picnic.
Thanksgiving parades have a long history in Canada. The Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Parade doubles as the country’s most famous Thanksgiving parade, televised nationally each year.
Fun fact: The Canadian tradition of Thanksgiving parades dates back to the early 20th century, predating some of the more commercial American ones.
If you prefer to escape the city, many families take short road trips during the long weekend.
If you can’t be with family, host a Friendsgiving feast instead. It’s a fun, inclusive way to share food and gratitude with friends who are also away from home.
You can make your Thanksgiving more meaningful by giving back to others:
For newcomers discovering their first Canadian holidays, our guide to Canada’s traditions and heritage offers helpful background and cultural insight.
Thanksgiving isn’t just about gathering and feasting. It’s a time to reflect on gratitude, respect for the land, and contemplate the meaning of reconciliation.
You can use Thanksgiving time to educate yourself and your family about the local First Nations in your area and their cultural traditions. By learning the real history of Thanksgiving, you are honouring the truth and acknowledging the resilience of Indigenous peoples who endured colonisation.
To explore this further, read our article on reconciliation in Canada.
By combining food, family togetherness, community growth, and Indigenous awareness, you and your loved ones can help Thanksgiving evolve into an inclusive, sustainable and truthful holiday, to be enjoyed for years to come.
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