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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>Suzanne Dollard</span> Fri, 10/08/2021 - 16:13
Years ago, when living along the Columbia River in British Columbia, I learned about Canadian Thanksgiving. It seemed much the same as how our American family celebrates Thanksgiving. We gather our family to celebrate our gratitude for being able to enjoy a bountiful harvest and "break bread" with our loved ones. One of my favorite things about Canadian Thanksgiving is that it is in October and not the end of November!
<span>Gemmy</span> Sat, 11/02/2019 - 21:35
Thank you for writing this article and to everyone that commented their personal experiences! As a homeschooling, American mother, this was fun to read and share with my kids. We were fascinated that Canadian Thanksgiving falls on Indigenous Peoples' day. I know that many Americans are big on football, but in our house we are far more family and food focused. I would be very much interested in "traditional dishes" that you can't live without at your Thanksgiving table. We go back and fourth between the time tested dishes like Caterpillar Casserole (green bean casserole), stuffing, candied yams, turkey...to getting creative and trying out different sides. All in all, family is first and foremost in our home. I really like the comment about eating outside if the weather is nice. What a wonderful idea! Thank you again for sharing!
<span>Vicki Moore</span> Tue, 10/15/2019 - 01:47
I enjoyed the article and I think everyone has their own traditions but my family it's always been about being thankful for what we have, for the wonderful fall harvests and spending time together with family and friends and eating lots of yummy turkey with all the trimmings and some great desserts! One of my proudest moments of parenting was when our four, then young children informed us that Thanksgiving was indeed their favorite holiday with Christmas being a close second! LOL Just the fact that they didn't require the material things to know what was really important and it meant as much to them as it did to us... it was that moment that I felt like we were raising great little humans.
<span>Keith St. Jean</span> Tue, 10/09/2018 - 09:21
It was a nice try, but the article really didn't paint the correct picture. Regardless of where it came from, Canadian thanksgiving does now represent gratefulness to the harvest, and a thanks for the family you are surrounded with. The whole bit about the explorers, or the Prince of Wales, would only be a footnote in a history textbook at this point, and almost nobody would know these things. Also, just about nobody would actually watch Canadian Football with the family gathered around. A quick check at TV ratings would indicate that. For most places in Canada what would be on the TV would be the hockey game - not Canadian football. And this one is likely just personal, but I wouldn't dare to say to my family that Thanksgiving doesn't matter as much as it does in the US. I would personally put it up as the #1 most important family tradition holiday, even up above Christmas - and I know just about everyone in my family would say the same thing.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 10/10/2018 - 16:19

Thank you for your feedback! 

We will make sure that the article is updated to better reflect the holiday.

 <span>Tammie Pizzingrilli</span> Sat, 11/27/2021 - 07:56
As a Canadian I completely agree with Keith St. Jean's comments about our Thanksgiving here. I was born in 1964 and have always been taught that our Thanksgiving is to celebrate a bountiful harvest. As I had an American partner I've experienced American Thanksgiving and agree that it's a much bigger holiday in the US. I believe that it could possibly be because colonialism plays a much bigger part in their education system than it does here in Canada.
<span>Joan Pache</span> Mon, 10/14/2019 - 22:53
Maybe I'm old fashioned but as a senior Canadian I'm really thankful for many, many things. If I started listing them you may think what is this woman talking about. We have everything we need for our bodies, if we are willing to work for it. We live in a country that has freedom of religion and the opportunity to worship as we like. We have the opportunity to vote. We can choose to live where we wish and in what we can afford. I could go on and on. I am thankful for all of this and more. Hope you, as a fellow Canadian, feel the same way.
<span>Steve B</span> Tue, 10/01/2019 - 23:30
I would like to hear what more of our northern friends think or how they celebrate instead of taking one persons opinion as gospel
<span>Linda Coulthard</span> Wed, 10/02/2019 - 01:53
I agree with steve b. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, 54 degrees north latitude. I will be busy harvesting my garden and preparing a turkey dinner for my family, not watching hockey or football. If the weather is good we will eat outside.