We celebrate our Thanksgiving weekend the second Monday in October due to a Proclaimation in Parliament January 31, 1957. The celebration is different from the American Thanksgiving which is celebrated in November and is part of a pilgram/american native celebration.
There are different reasons regarding the celebration in Canada. Martin Frobisher an explorer trying to find the northern passage to the Pacific held a formal celebration in Newfoundland in 1573. The explorer, Samuel de Champlain, in 1604 celebrated with his First Nations neighbours in Nova Scotia. After the American Revolution, many Loyalists who came to Canada including the Palatine Germans- of which there are several roots in my family
brought- some of those American traditions of pilgrims and pumpkin pie. It is a Harvest celebration which does have some English roots as well.
For most Canadians, Thanksgiving is a time to have a wonderful family dinner with Turkey, mashed potatoes and the famous bread stuffing. Every cook may have a variation but it is usually bread- fingered into pieces, celery, onions and sage- seasoned with some pepper and salt. I like to add fresh parsley, garlic and a bit of butter to help hold it together.
It gets stuffed in the turkey which adds to the flavour. Any number of vegetables can be added to the meal- some cook turnips, squash- such varieties as acorn, hubbard, butternut, spaghetti-, corn and sweet potatoes or yams as they can be called. These vegetables actually are very North American and part of the Native Canadian crops. Our dinner also includes rapini, broccoli, brussel sprouts, peas, and Italian sausage. There is a vegetable for everyone. It is topped off with cranberry sauce and turkey gravy. Cranberries are very native to this country- when the white man arrived, the Native Canadians were growing them. Dessert- pumpkin pie and whipped cream. Adolph loves apple pie with vanilla ice cream- so it is included of course.
Our dinner is served on the Sunday of the long weekend so we can have leftovers on the Monday and the cook which is me can have time to enjoy the day off. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the harvest in the Fall. Ontario markets are full of squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, eggplants, red peppers, apples and all the end of season vegetables. From coast to coast in Canada, people celebrate in their churches often with a variety of harvest produce on the altars. It is a wonderful celebration of the Fall and family. Can you smell the turkey cooking? What an odour in the home? Do you have a traditional Canadian dinner or do you have a variation? What is your favourite part of Thanksgiving? For me it is family and the opportunity to give thanks. To Canadians coast to coast-Buon Appetito!
There are different reasons regarding the celebration in Canada. Martin Frobisher an explorer trying to find the northern passage to the Pacific held a formal celebration in Newfoundland in 1573. The explorer, Samuel de Champlain, in 1604 celebrated with his First Nations neighbours in Nova Scotia. After the American Revolution, many Loyalists who came to Canada including the Palatine Germans- of which there are several roots in my family
brought- some of those American traditions of pilgrims and pumpkin pie. It is a Harvest celebration which does have some English roots as well.
For most Canadians, Thanksgiving is a time to have a wonderful family dinner with Turkey, mashed potatoes and the famous bread stuffing. Every cook may have a variation but it is usually bread- fingered into pieces, celery, onions and sage- seasoned with some pepper and salt. I like to add fresh parsley, garlic and a bit of butter to help hold it together.
It gets stuffed in the turkey which adds to the flavour. Any number of vegetables can be added to the meal- some cook turnips, squash- such varieties as acorn, hubbard, butternut, spaghetti-, corn and sweet potatoes or yams as they can be called. These vegetables actually are very North American and part of the Native Canadian crops. Our dinner also includes rapini, broccoli, brussel sprouts, peas, and Italian sausage. There is a vegetable for everyone. It is topped off with cranberry sauce and turkey gravy. Cranberries are very native to this country- when the white man arrived, the Native Canadians were growing them. Dessert- pumpkin pie and whipped cream. Adolph loves apple pie with vanilla ice cream- so it is included of course.
Our dinner is served on the Sunday of the long weekend so we can have leftovers on the Monday and the cook which is me can have time to enjoy the day off. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the harvest in the Fall. Ontario markets are full of squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, eggplants, red peppers, apples and all the end of season vegetables. From coast to coast in Canada, people celebrate in their churches often with a variety of harvest produce on the altars. It is a wonderful celebration of the Fall and family. Can you smell the turkey cooking? What an odour in the home? Do you have a traditional Canadian dinner or do you have a variation? What is your favourite part of Thanksgiving? For me it is family and the opportunity to give thanks. To Canadians coast to coast-Buon Appetito!#canadianthanksgiving#aturkeyfeast#combiningitalianandcanadiantraditions#pumpkins#turkeyandallthetrimmings#canadiantraditions#forbisher#chamlain#firstnations#familyoverforthanksgiving#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#squash#mashedpotatoes
neat photos! great sentiments! what?! no spaghetti squash?!
ReplyDeleteand only four typos this time ... :)
Yes I cook squash. But I love squash so have it year round!
ReplyDeleteHi Barb:
ReplyDeleteI also cook a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and have my family over for the feast. I usually have a desert that the kids like, they take turns in telling me what they want, and this year, it is lazy daisy cake and lemon pie. We will celebrate it on Monday, as we usually go to Church on Sunday, and have breakfast afterwards. I guess you can say we celebrate both Sunday and Monday. LOL
I look forward to thier coming although they do come a lot. LOL
I am so thankful to have both of my kids live within 10 km. of me, I get to enjoy my grandkids all the time. Reed enjoys them too as they love to spend time with Papa Reed. The little ones think the world of him.
My life has so many blessings to be thankful for., first of all is my husband, which the Lord has so graciously blessed me with, my home, and mostly the love surrounding me.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Adolp and your extended family.
Edna and Reed