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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 ways its timing, history, and traditions compare to Thanksgiving in the United States—followed by details about four ways the events differ.

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 for a meal on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday of the long weekendTraditionally, the meal is 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 about a 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.

The waterfront and skyline of Vancouver, British Columbia, in 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 event 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 partly 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 loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Phil Phyfer</span> Thu, 09/21/2023 - 16:20
... And you have to be very careful in stating that last paragraph. Yea! Canada.
<span>Darlene P Whitre</span> Mon, 10/10/2022 - 20:03
Try reading “ Playing fir Pixza.” Set in Italy.
<span>Tammie Pizzingrilli</span> Sat, 11/27/2021 - 11:11
I'm Canadian and have a lot of family members who live in the US. I've been to 42 states. In my travels I've been surprised by the amount of Americans lack of knowledge about their northern neighbours so don't feel bad. I believe at least a couple of factors can be attributed. While I don't watch the mainstream news anymore, I used to see a big difference between American news vs Canadian news. The American news only reported on stories about the US or American's outside of the US. Canadian news reported on international news and politics as well as sports. My cousins moved to California when they were enrolling into Grades 7, 9 and 11. All three of them said they were only taught American history and geography and basically nothing about the rest of the world. Here in Canada it's the opposite to a fault as our students are taught more about the history of other countries than our own country. We don't have a holiday similar to your Columbus Day. We have Canada Day (previously called Dominion Day) on July 1 to celebrate the agreement of our three British colonies to join together to become Canada. If you enjoy history look up the war of 1812 when "Canada" burned the White House. We also have Victoria Day in May, one week before your Memorial Day although most people just call it "May long" It was originally started to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday. Instead of changing the date with each reining Monarch it's always celebrated the end of May. This year on September 30 was our very first "Truth and Reconciliation Day" for Canada's Indigenous people. Canada made international news this past spring when hundreds of unmarked graves were located near various Residential Schools here in Western Canada. Residential schools operated in Canada from the 1870's-1996. At first they were opened simply so Indigenous children could learn to read and write. Later on they were built across Canada and parents were ordered to send their children hundreds of miles away to these schools where they were forced to cut off their hair, wear different clothing, prohibited from speaking their own languages, forced to practice a different religion as well as prohibited from even talking to their own siblings. Many of these children were beaten, sexually abused, overworked, underfed, and even murdered etc. When they died from illness or disease the only way the parents could get their children's body back home for burial was if they paid for it to be shipped by train. Most of them couldn't afford it so their children were buried in the school graveyard. While these graves were marked at one time, the records that were kept have mostly been lost or destroyed. Our governments, especially the Liberals lead by Pierre Elliott Trudeau who was Prime Minister from 1968-1984. While previously the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and United churches helped run these schools they were solely ran by the government after 1968. So while Justin Trudeau, Pierre's son, would like everyone to think he's a hero for passing this day of observance through, in reality he's very disingenuous. Instead of attending even one of the three different ceremonies in British Columbia where he was invited by their Chiefs, he just flew right over them in his private jet from Ottawa on his way to his $4.5 million ocean front home on Vancouver Island where he went surfing for the day. See how that works? The government makes a "holiday" for these people because of 125 years of abuse, rapes, murders, crimes and injustices that these people faced from the government and the Prime Minister doesn't even have the grace to even reply to their invitations to the ceremonies of the very first Day of Truth and Reconciliation! The only people in Canada who received a paid day off were federal employees. A couple of weeks later there was a news conference where one of the Chiefs confronted him and told him how disappointed and sad her and her people were that he didn't respond to their invitations. He arrogantly looked in the opposite direction during her speech then as he always does after he gets caught, gave a dramatic insincere "apology" https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html We do indeed have football. It's called the CFL. After the playoffs the winner from the Western division plays against the winner of the Eastern division for the Grey Cup. Each year the game takes place in a pre-determined city. This year it will be in Hamilton, Ontario on December 12. Many years the Grey Cup's been played in blizzards or in temperatures as low as -40 F. Many of the players are from the US. I'm with you on football! LoL. They seem to do more standing around than playing. I prefer hockey as probably 80%+ of other Canadians. I hope you've enjoyed my little history lesson as much as I enjoyed writing it eh?! 😉 🇨🇦
<span>Darlene</span> Fri, 10/06/2023 - 21:39
Tammie, that's great work of fiction you have there... The PM doesn't turn his back on Indigenous leaders, PM Trudeau is an honorarly member of the BC Haida's, he even has a Haida tattoo.. The current PM also, does not own an ocean front property in BC. FYI, there were also residential schools in the States and Indigenous people around the world are still suffering under colonialism, and now a rise in RW hate. The current Canadian govt., is the first to do anything for the Indigenous people in Canada. You also don't understand how settlements are done, based on precedent, of individual levels of damages inflicted... Here are 6 facts about PM Trudeau's link to BC.. https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/6-ways-justin-trudeau-is-linked-to-british-columbia_n_8342278
<span>Rick Williams</span> Mon, 10/10/2022 - 13:16
Trudeau has no class and never did. His only concern is that of other countries and very little regard for Canadian citizens. He talks the talk but does not walk the walk. All around, one of the worst leaders this country ever had save for his father.
<span>Darlene</span> Fri, 10/06/2023 - 23:19
A decade of Harper do nothing for affordable homes, especially rental units. Poilievre even claimed to be the Housing Minister, he never was, there was housing Minister under Harper. A decade of climate denial and a FIPA deal with China, setting the country back and putting the population at greater risk, due to the consequences of inaction.. Also, the federal govt gives funding to the provinces for various ministries, health, education, housing and infrastructure.. Learn how govt jurisdictions work in Canada. You sound like a broken PP record, "Everything is Trudeau's fault", easier than looking up how our govt actually works. Everyday workers in Canada, better start looking at what has been done for them since 2015, when the next election comes around. Actually look at the long term benefits, vs the Cons dismantling programs our taxes pay for, even talk of rolling back minimum wages.. Is it PM Trudeau's fault, that premier Ford is a fraud thug, and Ford is now responsible, for the shortage of many affordable homes/apts, building fewer now than 2020.. Vote by policy, not personality, but do listen to what they say, and fact check the opposition's claims. Hitler: Repeat the same lie over and over, they start to believe you.. Trump: Repeat the same lie 3 times and they will believe you... Poilievre (another member of Harper's IDU), tells the same lies repeatedly, and doesn't get why LOL The fascist doesn't see he is the fascist, not the current PM.
<span>Linda</span> Sun, 10/02/2022 - 02:04
I'm Canadian too, and I find your "history lesson" very biased and not factual.
<span>Shamus</span> Thu, 11/25/2021 - 15:42
Indigenous Day celebrates the native american people that were here long before the europeans came and before they were forced from there land and way of life. Then brutally murdered or infested with disease. Columbus day just celebrated a drunk rapest lunatic that was banned from his home country, then convinced another country to fund his exploration and exploitation of new lands. Colombus didnt even discover north america, He rediscovered the caribean islands which were already occupied. then he set up horrendace slave, rape, spice and liquor trades between the islands, africa and europe. Why do we even pretend to care about him and continue to teach fake stories in the american school systems? Plymouth rock? he never came anywhere near new england, so why pretend he discovered or settled here?
<span>Eileen Burke</span> Mon, 10/11/2021 - 13:45
Thanksgiving still starts with a church service for many Americans.
<span>Cheryl Waters</span> Mon, 10/11/2021 - 13:41
I remember living in Maine we always knew when Canadian Thanksgiving was because all the motels around would be full up with Canadians who were here for their Holiday and to shop.