52
Escarpment Magazine Harvest & Holiday 2013
As Canadians,
we almost make a point of dis-
tinguishing ourselves from our American neighbours
in small but significant ways: we spell words differ-
ently, and celebrate Thanksgiving in October. But
Canadian Thanksgiving wasn’t always the mid-sea-
son family get-together it is today. Many Canadians
might be surprised and mildly aghast to learn Thanks-
giving was, for a long time, celebrated in November.
It wasn’t until 1957 that Thanksgiving was fixed on
the second Monday in October.
Popular history teaches us the first thanksgiving din-
ner in North America was a shared meal between
Native Americans and the Pilgrims in or around
1620. In truth, the first thanksgiving meal took place
nearly 40 years earlier in 1578. Martin Frobisher’s
commemorative dinner was likely equal parts thanks-
giving for and relief at having survived crossing the
Atlantic Ocean. Where that table was set is less well
understood. While it’s well documented the
Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock, Frobisher’s
thanksgiving happened either on Baffin Island or
Newfoundland.
Sailing under Queen Elizabeth I, a special thanks-
giving would have been part of Frobisher’s custom
and culture. Elizabeth I’s reign was marked by many
occasions of thanksgiving—a tradition that was car-
ried on throughout the years and was transported to
the British colonies.
Abundant
