(MENAFN- Live Mint) Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is an annual celebration that Canadians observe on the second Monday of October. This year, it was celebrated on 13 October, remarkably almost six weeks before the date the United States celebrates the day.

The US celebrates Thanksgiving every year on the Fourth Thursday in November, which is followed by Black Friday the next day. This year, US Thanksgiving falls on 27 November.

Besides the difference in dates for Thanksgiving celebrations in the two North American nations, the Thanksgiving dinner menu also speaks about different cultures. While roast turkey typically takes centre stage in both nations, the side dishes accompanying it narrate distinct stories about tradition, history, and national taste.

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In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated in the fall harvest season, when pumpkins and gourds are abundant and form an essential part of the main course. With its roots in the European harvest festivals, Thanksgiving is observed as a public holiday in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon. It is a common local holiday in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Due to the country's colder climate, it arrives earlier, and hence, the Canadian Parliament set the holiday for the second Monday in October back in 1957.

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"Canadians very much appropriated the traditional Thanksgiving dinner from America," Yahoo quoted The Canadian Encyclopedia senior subject editor, Andrew McIntosh.

He said the prototypical Thanksgiving feast featuring turkey, squash and pumpkin was introduced to Nova Scotia in the 1750s. Thus, the Canadian Thanksgiving menu is influenced by the country's immigrant and First Nations cultures.

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It is important to note that there is a subtle difference in the dishes. Canadians often cook a simple bread stuffing or herb dressing, while Americans opt for cornbread stuffing, which may include sausage, nuts, or fruit.

Thanksgiving history

Notably, the Canadian Encyclopedia states that the earliest recorded Thanksgiving in the country took place in 1578, 43 years before the start of American Thanksgiving.

Following a safe arrival in the Nunavut region, English explorer Martin Frobisher gave thanks, and the day came to be celebrated as Thanksgiving in Canada.

In the US, Thanksgiving became a formal annual holiday in November 1879. The day marks the beginning of the festive season, when travel is often the busiest of the year.

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