Happy Thanksgiving

What a beautiful weekend and an unseasonably warm Thanksgiving Day. After having lived in another country for a few years, we were often faced with questions as to why we (Canadians) celebrate different holidays throughout the year. I had always been happy to have a day off and had never given it much thought before. Suddenly I was faced with the realization that I didn't know much about why we have Thanksgiving in October, or what Boxing Day is. The Canadian Thanksgiving takes place on the 2nd Monday of October and celebrates a successful harvest. The American Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, and celebrates the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock (not worth the trip to Plymouth to see, by the way). The meals are the same, and whichever way you slice it, it is my favourite holiday. It hasn't been turned into a Hallmark holiday, and there's no pressure to buy gifts. It is a day to spend with family and eat until you can't eat anymore.