This year Thanksgiving in Canada is held on October tenth and all the Fanshawe students have a chance to enjoy the long weekend. But for some Thanksgiving is a new event, as they have never had a chance to celebrate it before.
Thanksgiving Day in Canada has been a holiday on the second Monday of October since 1957. It is a chance for people to give thanks for a good harvest and other fortunes in the past year.
Usually Canadians gather with their family and friends to forget about all unpleasantness that happened and start a new chapter together. However, it is not a tradition for everyone.
“Coming to this country there is a lot of exposure and shocking events that we weren’t used to coming from where I come from,”
Timmy Tea, Canadian with Ugandan background
Timmy came to Canada more than a decade ago and most of the holidays were a pure shock for him.
“Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Halloween- some of the events didn’t make sense to me and my culture. So obviously I had to learn about it all once I came here,” explains Timmy.
Since Thanksgiving was initially celebrated in North America to thank god for the successful journey from Europe. Later, people thanked Natives for their help in growing unknown fruits and vegetables and the survival lessons that they were introduced to. Now, holding in memory the history of the holiday, people gather around the dining table, bringing all the crops that the land and hard work has given.
It is a time to reunite and cherish the present and the past, to see all people dear to the heart and make special autumn memories.
“Usually we gather at a certain location with a lot of people from different cities and communities. We bring a lot of food, some games. The main goal is to all get together and be there as a family,” shares Timmy.
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