Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, one week late! Celebrating Thanksgiving last Monday (October 8) here in Canada got me wondering… What’s the HISTORY behind Thanksgiving? Who are the PEOPLE who shaped it?
1. A Lost English Privateer & his Crew
Martin Frobisher
Some historians believe the first Thanksgiving celebration in North America occurred in 1578 during English privateer Martin Frobisher’s search for the Northwest Passage. Ice and freak storms scattered his fleet before they were unexpectedly reunited at an anchorage in Frobisher Bay (in present-day Nunavut) where they celebrated by being “thankful to God for their strange and miraculous deliverance in those so dangerous places.”
2. French Settlers & their First Nations Neighbors
George Agnew Reid’s Arrival of Champlain
In the early 1600s, French settlers (who arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain) formed the Order of Good Cheer and held feasts with their First Nations neighbors.
3. Fleeing Royalist Refugees & Turkeys
Howard Pyle’s Tory Refugees
During the American Revolution (1765 to 1783) and after, Americans (called Tories, Royalists, Loyalists, or King’s Men) who remained loyal to Great Britain fled to Canada and brought their American Thanksgiving customs and food.
Sorry, you had to abandon your homes but thank you for bringing us your turkey dinner.
4. The 1st Canadian-born Governor General
Governor General Vincent Massey (far left)
On January 31, 1957, Vincent Massey (the first Canadian-born individual to be appointed Governor General of Canada) issued a proclamation forming “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the second Monday in October.”
Thank you, Wikipedia, for the info and the pictures.
What’s your favorite way to spend Thanksgiving?
For me, it’s the turkey dinner with family.
Warning…October may be a food-inspired month for me! After a chance encounter with some lovely salespeople on the street, I’m now pondering the history of Girl Guides and their cookies 🙂
I didn’t realize that Thanksgiving only became an official holiday here in Canada in the 1950s. How interesting.
Hi Lydia. I think it “officially” become a holiday early than the 50s, but I’m not sure. Some sources use the word “officially” along with the date November 6, 1879. But I like the detail about the “proclamation” (which might have just been about setting the date more than anything else) coming from the 1st Canadian-born Governor General 🙂
This was fascinating, Jacqui! Thanks for digging into this. 🙂 I, too, love the turkey dinner, especially leftovers. If the weather’s nice, I also like to go for a long walk somewhere where hopefully there’s fall leaves on the ground.
Oh yes, the leftovers are as good as the first round! 🙂 Love walking in the leaves too. Thanks for commenting, Ros!