Origin of thanksgiving5/8/2023 ![]() However, despite this history of uniquely Canadian thanksgivings, our modern concepts of Thanksgiving were influenced by our American neighbours. Medical treatises recommended better nutrition (more food) and entertainment to combat scurvy. To prevent the scurvy epidemic that had decimated the settlement at Île Sainte-Croix in past winters, the Ordre de Bon Temps (Order of Good Cheer) was founded, offering festive meals every few weeks. The neighbouring Mi’kmaq likely introduced the French to cranberries, or as they called them, petites pommes rouges (little red apples).Ĭhamplain’s feasts were more than an annual affair. Though not known at the time by the settlers, cranberries, rich in vitamin C, are credited with helping avoid scurvy. This is now accepted as the first “Canadian” Thanksgiving, forty-three years before the first “American” Thanksgiving.įorty-eight years later on November 14, 1606, inhabitants of New France under Samuel de Champlain held huge feasts of thanksgiving between local Mi’kmaq and the French. The explorers dined on salt beef, biscuits, and mushy peas and gave thanks through Communion for their safe arrival in then Newfoundland. When it comes to European thanksgivings in Canada, we have a few tales to tell.Īs the story goes, in 1578, English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew gave thanks and communion was observed, either on land at Frobisher Bay, in present day Nunavut, or onboard a ship anchored there. These traditions may include feasting, prayer, dance, potlatch, and other ceremonies, depending on the peoples giving thanks. First Nations across Turtle Island have traditions of thanksgiving for surviving winter and for receiving crops and game as a reward for their hard work. Traditions of giving thanks long predate the arrival of European settlers in North America. Some records say the first official Thanksgiving likely predates this event by around fourteen years.īut let’s try again - we’re thinking of our neighbours to the south.īelieve it or not, Thanksgiving in Canada, or at least the land that would become Canada, has its own history, separate from our American counterparts. Without the help of the Wampanoag, who shared planting, hunting, and fishing knowledge and techniques, the pilgrims would have died. In 1621, the pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts, held the first Thanksgiving in North America, giving thanks for the end to a drought and a bountiful harvest. People across the country will spend it raking leaves, harvesting, shutting down the family cabin, and hopefully eating a delicious meal surrounded by friends and family. For many, this long weekend really kicks off the autumn season. Library and Archives Canada / e010933381-v8 Canada's History Youth Committee Members.The John Bragg Award for Atlantic Canada. ![]() Historical Thinking Community of Practice.
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