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Canadian Thanksgiving 2026: How It Differs From U.S. Thanksgiving

red maple leaf on a wood slab background
Image Credit:
Pixabay
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Canadian Thanksgiving falls on Monday, October 12, 2026. Celebrated on the second Monday in October, the holiday brings families and friends together to give thanks and enjoy a harvest meal. Here are four ways its timing, history, and traditions differ from Thanksgiving in the United States.

Canadian Thanksgiving vs. American Thanksgiving

FeatureCanadian ThanksgivingAmerican Thanksgiving
Date in 2026Monday, October 12Thursday, November 26
Annual timingSecond Monday in OctoberFourth Thursday in November
Holiday mealFamilies may gather on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday of the long weekendTraditionally served on Thanksgiving Thursday
Common foodsTurkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pieTurkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie
Holiday statusHoliday pay and business closures vary by province and employment sectorU.S. federal holiday; private employers set their own holiday policies
Relationship to Black FridayBlack Friday falls in November, several weeks laterBlack Friday falls the following day

1. Canadian Thanksgiving is in October—and on a Monday

That’s right! Canadian Thanksgiving happens a full month and a half before American Thanksgiving, on the second Monday in October (Monday, October 12, 2026). 

Since the beginning of the Thanksgiving holiday, its date has moved several times—from mid-week in April to a Thursday in November—until 1957, when the Canadian government officially declared that Thanksgiving would occur on the second Monday in October. This ensured that Thanksgiving and another Canadian holiday, Remembrance Day (November 11), would no longer overlap.

Now, Canadian Thanksgiving lines up with Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the United States, also held on the second Monday in October. 

Thanksgiving holiday pay and business closures vary by province and employment sector. Check your provincial government’s guidance and your employer’s holiday policy.

Vancouver morning in Autumn
A serene autumn morning in Vancouver.

2. American and Canadian Thanksgiving Have Different (But Similar) Origins

Everyone seems to know the story of the first American Thanksgiving in 1621, but do you know how Canadian Thanksgiving came about? According to some tellings, the first Canadian Thanksgiving may have even predated the Pilgrims’ big meal.

The tradition of Thanksgiving originated with the harvest festival—an autumnal celebration meant to show appreciation for the season’s bountiful harvest. But Canadian Thanksgiving was initially less about celebrating the harvest and more about thanking God for keeping early explorers safe as they ventured into the New World.

In that sense of “thanks-giving,” the earliest report of such a dinner dates back to 1578 when English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew held a special meal to thank God for granting them safe passage through northern North America into what is today the Canadian Territory of Nunavut. This was not to become an annual event, however.

A celebratory meal with a menu mostly in alignment with American Thanksgiving took hold in Nova Scotia in the mid-19th century and started to spread to other areas, but the first fully acknowledged Thanksgiving after the Canadian Confederation didn’t happen until April 1872, when the holiday was observed to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of Wales from a severe illness. Thanksgiving became an annual event in Canada starting with the celebration of November 6, 1879, although the date of the event would continue to shift. On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament set the second Monday in October as “a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”

Today, the tradition of Thanksgiving has come full circle, and it’s primarily seen as a time to gather the family, mark the start of autumn, and celebrate the harvest and good food of the season. 

Canadian Flag
Photo by Muskoka Stock Photos/Shutterstock.

3. Thanksgiving Is a Little More Low-Key in Canada

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays of the year in the United States—with huge parades, massive feasts, and football—but it’s decidedly lower-key in Canada. Although the holiday is still widely celebrated in Canada and is a statutory holiday in most of the country*, Canadians’ approach to Thanksgiving is a bit more laid back. 

(*The exceptions are the Atlantic provinces, where the holiday is an optional day off, and Quebec, where the holiday isn’t as popular overall.)

In Canada, Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather and enjoy a turkey dinner while celebrating the harvest. However, unlike in the United States, relatives tend not to travel as far. This is because the holiday occurs in early October, and the weather is typically mild enough for a Thanksgiving Day hike or vacation. Many Canadians enjoy participating in this tradition before the long winter sets in. For convenience, the Thanksgiving feast may also be shifted to Saturday or Sunday, since the holiday falls on a Monday.

Although you might expect hockey to replace traditional Thanksgiving Day football, football is part of the Thanksgiving tradition in Canada, too. Each year, the annual Thanksgiving Day Classic doubleheader is broadcast nationwide, wherein four teams from the CFL (Canadian Football League) play for Thanksgiving glory! 

Maple leaf on rocks

4. Canadian Thanksgiving Does Not Lead Directly Into Black Friday

Love or hate them, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become a big part of the Thanksgiving season in the United States. In Canada, however, there’s no real post-Thanksgiving shopping craze since Christmas is still so far off. This allows Canadians to focus purely on celebrating the beauty of early October and the harvest!

Ultimately, no matter how, when, or where you celebrate it: Happy Thanksgiving!

Learn More

Check out our page on American Thanksgiving and a list of our favorite Thanksgiving Recipes (and Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes, too)!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • When is Canadian Thanksgiving in 2026?

    Canadian Thanksgiving is Monday, October 12, 2026. It is observed annually on the second Monday in October.

  • Why is Canadian Thanksgiving in October?

    Canadian Thanksgiving celebrates the autumn harvest and the blessings of the past year. Its date changed several times before a 1957 proclamation established the second Monday in October as the annual observance.

  • Do Canadians eat turkey on Thanksgiving?

    Yes. Turkey is a common centerpiece of Canadian Thanksgiving dinners, often accompanied by stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Menus vary by family, region, and cultural tradition.

  • Do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on Sunday or Monday?

    The official holiday falls on Monday, but families may hold their Thanksgiving meal on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. The day of the gathering depends on family schedules and traditions.

  • Is Canadian Thanksgiving a paid holiday everywhere in Canada?

    No. Paid-holiday entitlements depend on the province or territory, employment sector, and applicable workplace rules. Retail closures are a separate matter: in Nova Scotia, for example, Thanksgiving is a designated retail closing day but is not a paid general holiday under provincial labour standards.

  • Is Canadian Thanksgiving older than American Thanksgiving?

    It depends on which events you compare. Martin Frobisher’s 1578 thanksgiving ceremony predates the Plymouth harvest gathering of 1621, but neither event marks the beginning of an uninterrupted annual national holiday. Indigenous peoples also held harvest celebrations long before Europeans arrived.

Thanksgiving

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the digital home of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. She leads digital editorial strategy and publishing across a wide range of Almanac sub...

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Sharon Brown</span> Mon, 10/13/2025 - 12:33
Thank you for the interesting article about Thanksgiving day. Here in the US, I personally would like to see Thanksgiving get more recognition. It seems that people here focus on Halloween and then skip right to Christmas. Heck, I have seen jack-o'-lanterns in stores wearing Santa hats. I think it's because Halloween and Christmas are very commercial holidays for some, with the Halloween candy and then the Christmas gifts and candy. Most people don't know how Halloween even became a holiday and the facts about the time of year the Bible says Jesus was born is largely ignored by most. I won't go into details here, but they are both very interesting Google searchs, if anyone is interested. Read the actual articles, because even Google states that the AI description could be wrong. All of this are just my opinions, of course! To everyone reading this, I hope everyone has a bountiful autumn harvest and warm & happy holidays!
<span>Sharon Brown</span> Mon, 10/13/2025 - 12:35
OOPS! My first sentence should read "Thank you for the interesting article about CANADIAN Thanksgiving day".
<span>Donald Clare Fraser</span> Tue, 10/10/2023 - 13:07
America is a continent, recognized by professional geographers as North America and South America. The United States of America is a country on the North American continent as are the countries of Mexico, Canada, Panama, etc.
<span>Ray Blaak</span> Thu, 11/28/2024 - 13:54
It's more complicated than that. Words take on different meanings depending on the context. From the wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas Since the 1950s,[19] however, North America and South America have generally been considered by English speakers as separate continents, and taken together are called the Americas, or more rarely America.[20][21][5] When conceived as a unitary continent, the form is generally the continent of America in the singular. However, without a clarifying context, singular America in English commonly refers to the United States of America.[5]
<span>Todd</span> Wed, 09/27/2023 - 07:50
Some of the article is true. Save for the bit about shopping. Since Canada has very few “Canadian retailers”, Black Friday is forced upon us. I too like a good sale, but there is s only so many TVs, appliances or cars one can buy
<span>Dale Evans</span> Tue, 10/15/2024 - 20:41
Love the last comment about 'only so many..". I am American (although 1 of my grandmothers was French Canadian) and wish so much more Americans had that feeling. shopping is out of control in the US. Good for you and the rest of the level headed Canadians. So glad there is a sane, rational country next to the US. maybe some of it will rub off.
<span>Vikas Goel</span> Fri, 10/07/2022 - 11:59
The article makes the same mistake so many others make in confusing a "day of thanksgiving" with the holiday "Thanksgiving" day. The latter is an American holiday brought to Canada by Loyalists. It has nothing to do with Frobisher holding a feast of thanksgiving (that happened in April) and all attempts to link the "Thanksgiving" holiday with various days of thanks-giving throughout history are laughably tenuous.
<span>Darlene P Whitre</span> Mon, 10/10/2022 - 20:01
You’re so right. This is what happens when writers fail to do their own original research and instead rely on someone else’s written mistake. My multiple times grest grandfather William Bradford was the governor of Massachusetts when the first thanksgiving happened. It was no doubt closer to Canadas current date since they were celebrating a successful harvest season.
<span>Carolyn</span> Mon, 10/11/2021 - 14:23
My husband just informed me that the Canadian football field is 20 yards longer and it's wider, too. I never knew any other country had a football league! As an American who is not in the least interested in football (I may as well be living in Canada...or Europe!), I don't know why I find this fascinating. LOL. But it was interesting to learn about Canada and their Thanksgiving holiday. Very nice. On a side note, I read the comments about 'Indigenous Day' and that makes me sad. Why couldn't we have kept Columbus Day and made a day just for the Native Americans? It could be a day in which the Native Americans tribes could jointly have picked out; instead, it was our inane and foolish government entity that made that stupid decision. (Sorry, done with the ranting now).
<span>Roma</span> Fri, 06/10/2022 - 19:32
The first American Style football game was played between Montreal's McGill University and the Harvard University in Cambridge Mass. on May 15, 1874 The rules of the Canadian game included an oval ball and the ability to run while carrying the ball. Until then Harvard played the game with a round ball and a player couldn't run with the ball unless being chased. Harvard won the game 3 - 0 Shortly thereafter, Harvard standardized the rules for the game called "American Football" which became part of their athletic program. Their main rival became Yale University, but Harvard dominate the game for years because they had being playing the game for much longer. Canadian football was being played many years before McGill taught Harvard the game. Some of the Canadian universities who were playing the game included, McGill, University of Toronto and the University of Hamilton. Today the Canadian game is still played on a bigger field, with more players and play with bigger balls. Merci