The festival of thanksgiving is a very big and hugely celebrated festival in many western countries like the United States and
Canada, but there is a huge difference between the characteristics of this festival among these countries. Depending upon different dimensions of different cultures, thanksgiving is a different deal in these countries.
Key Takeaways
- Canadian Thanksgiving occurs on the second Monday of October, whereas American Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November.
- Canadian Thanksgiving has roots in celebrating the harvest, while American Thanksgiving traces back to the Pilgrims’ survival in the New World.
- Both holidays share similar traditions, such as feasting turkey and spending time with family.
Thanksgiving in US vs Thanksgiving in Canada
The difference between Thanksgiving in the United States and Thanksgiving in Canada is that in the former country, the festival is celebrated at a different date, and a national holiday is also observed.
But on the other hand, in the latter, the date is different as well and no such holiday is observed. Apart from this, certain other major differences lie between the festivities of these two countries.
In the United States of America, thanksgiving is a very big deal, and it can be said that it somehow equates to the grandness of Christmas.
Basically, it is celebrated in the four days of a weekend, and the major date of celebration happens to be the fourth Thursday in November. Also, America observes a national holiday on this day and celebrates the best out of it.
But on the other hand, in Canada as well, Thanksgiving is a big deal, but the date of celebration differs from the United States of
America, and instead of a total of 4 days, this festival is celebrated for just 3 days only. Apart from this, there is a big difference in Canadian people celebrating Thanksgiving as they perceive it as a religious as well as an economic festival.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Thanksgiving in US | Thanksgiving in Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Date of celebration | It is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November every year. | It is celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October every year. |
| Total days | Basically, a four-day weekend is designated to celebrate | Basically, a three days weekend is designated |
| National holiday | A national holiday is observed | No such provision is available |
| Origin | People started celebrating this day religiously by thanking God for all the kindness in the world. | People started celebrating it for a good harvest. |
| Perception | People thank almighty for the kindness of people and the normal moments of happiness in life. | People thank the almighty for the good harvest. |
What is Thanksgiving in US?
In the United States, the festival of Thanksgiving is a very major festival, and the people of America celebrate it as a huge festival like Christmas or New Year.
The idea behind this festival is that people of a community stay blessed due to the kindness of others, and eventually, they should be thankful to God for giving them such surroundings and environment.
Every year, on the fourth Thursday of November, this particular festival is celebrated very happily all across the states of America, and people participate in it very fondly.
The importance of Thanksgiving in the United States can be ascertained from the mere fact that America observes a national holiday on a particular day so as to allow its people to celebrate the festival with no worries of work.
The festival once begins and lasts for four days in total, and people, especially the members of a family, eat and sit together and thank God for the beautiful life they have gotten due to his blessings.
Many indoor and outdoor games are also played on the eve of Thanksgiving.
What is Thanksgiving in Canada?
In Canada, like any other western country, Thanksgiving is celebrated very largely, but certain differences exist in the way in which Canadians celebrate
Thanksgiving as compared to the other countries, especially America. On the very 2nd Monday of October, Canada celebrates the day as Thanksgiving and shows its thankfulness towards the almighty God.
The festival started in the country in the early 15th century, and people never saw this festival from a religious approach only. Rather, people chose to thank God for the most important thing in a person’s life, i.e., food.
Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving and thank God for a good harvest in that particular year. However, this festival has become a very significant day in the calendar of the country.
However, the festivities differ from other countries in many ways. Firstly, Canada does not observe any festival on Thanksgiving, and people have to work like a normal day on this day as well.
Secondly, the festival lasts for three days only and dinner and games of football happen to be the biggest events of this particular celebration.
Main Differences Between Thanksgiving in US and Canada
- Thanksgiving in the US is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, while on the other hand, Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October.
- Thanksgiving in the US is mainly for religious purposes, while on the other hand, Thanksgiving in Canada means thanking for a good crop.
- Thanksgiving in US might be observed as a national holiday, while on the other hand, Thanksgiving in Canada is observed as a normal day.
- Thanksgiving in the US was originated as a way of thanking god for all the good things, while on the other hand, Thanksgiving in Canada emerged as a way of thanking god for a good harvest.
- Thanksgiving in the US lasts for four total days, while on the other hand, Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated for three days only.
References
- https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/18/1/13/1813819
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0308275X9201200205
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
