Nicole's Notes

All about American Thanksgiving:
The original Plymouth celebration in 1621 lasted 3 days and was late September, early October to celebrate the first successful harvest (only 2 written records remain). Since 1622's harvest sucked rocks, they only held it the one year.

The next recorded celebration was held in 1777 by all 13 colonies to celebrate the victory over the British at Saratoga. Still didn't become an annual event until Sarah Hale, a Philadelphia magazine editor, started writing letters to congressmen, senators, presidents, etc. After 40 years of her letters, Lincoln finally declares Thanksgiving to be the last Thursday in November.

But it doesn't become an official holiday (it was mostly just a northeast thing) until 1941 (a week or two before Pearl Harbor), and turkey doesn't become the meal of choice until it's traditional use at West Point spreads all over thanks to WWII.

All About Canadian Thanksgiving:
From what I know, it started out as more of a harvest festival. You know, giving thanks for the fact that the crops were successful and harvested and stuff. They did this in Europe too, and the symbol most associated with it was the horn of plenty (a goat's horn full of fruit and grain), which later became the cornucopia seen in a lot of cheesy centerpieces.

In the year 1578, the English navigator Martin Frobisher held a formal ceremony, in what is now called Newfoundland, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. You'll note that this was a good 40 years before the pilgrims. Many of the new settlers from Great Britain were also used to having a harvest celebration in their churches every autumn.

In the 1600s, Samuel de Champlain and the French Settlers who came with him established an "Order of Good Cheer". This group would hold huge celebrations marking the harvests and other events. There was a lot of interaction between the French and the Native Americans, so there were often Native Americans invited to these celebrations.

After the Seven Year's War ended in 1763, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving. I suspect they were relieved that no one was trying to blow them to bits anymore. Hell, I think think that's worth celebrating! In fact, Canadians got into the habit of holding Thanksgivings for lots of reasons. The government would issue a proclamation and then they'd have a party. The government of Canada has a whole website listing these proclamations and the dates the parties were held at: Proclamation and Observance of General Thanksgiving Days.
For those of you not up on your Canadian history, Lower Canada roughly encompassed the area now known as Quebec and Upper Canada was pretty much the area now called Ontario. Lower and Upper indicate their placement on the St. Lawrence River.

The first official Canadian Thanksgiving after Confederation was celebrated on April 15, 1872 in thanks for the recovery of The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness. The next Thanksgiving didn’t occur until 1879 when Parliament declared November 6th a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday.

From 1879 to 1898 it was celebrated on a Thursday in November; from 1899 to 1907 on a Thursday in October (except in 1901 and 1904 when it was celebrated on a Thursday in November); from 1908 to 1921 on a Monday in October; and between 1922 and 1930 the Armistice Day Act declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on Armistice Day, the Monday of the week of November 11. In 1931 the Act was amended, the two days became separate holidays. Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day and the old practice of Parliament declaring a day of Thanksgiving each year was resumed.

Finally, on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed, "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October."

But it's still not as important a family holiday in Canada as Christmas is. Perhaps because we get two days off at Xmas (Christmas day and Boxing Day - the 26th), and only one at Thanksgiving (the Monday).

While I'm at it, Boxing Day is a British holiday where the fortunate would box up goods (jams, sweaters, blankets, etc.) to give to the less fortunate. Xmas is a valid abbreviation for Christmas because X represents Christ's cross. So I'm told, anyway.

So now you know. And knowing is half the battle.