OTTAWA, October 11. / TASS /. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Monday, which is dedicated to the harvest, fertility and family well-being. This year, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it is taking place in both traditional and virtual formats.
Unlike last year, when the government banned Canadians from meeting with family and friends at the holiday table, this year the ban was lifted. However, some residents of Canada have again abandoned traditional dinners with large families, especially for fear of infection. Instead, they chatted with family and friends online. In addition, there will be no holiday fairs or mass parades in Canada again this year.
“Last year we met loved ones over Thanksgiving, so this year, when many were already vaccinated, we are not going to give up on this tradition,” one of the Ottawa residents told TASS. Another resident of the Canadian capital said he did not plan to celebrate the holiday in the traditional format. “To be honest, we are tired of these bans. Today my wife and kids are going for a walk in the forest and then we are just going to have dinner at home and congratulate our loved ones on the holidays over the phone. will have a big family dinner for us next year, ”he said.
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, congratulating the nation, urged fellow citizens who plan to hold personal meetings with loved ones to continue to follow the instructions of medical experts: wear masks, wash their hands more often and ventilate the premises. In addition, he urged locals to remember to fill up the so-called food banks, to which Canadians bring a variety of food items, usually canned foods, to each year. The volunteers then distribute these products to the poor.
Tradition and history of the festival
Thanksgiving in Canada is traditionally a weekend. On this day, it is customary to organize fairs, music festivals, solemn processions, and the most important part is a festive dinner, which brings together several generations of the same family to offer prayers of thanks. for harvest. The main course and the main symbol of the holiday is the turkey stuffed with cranberry syrup. It is usually served with a large sweet pumpkin or apple pie, corn, nuts, raisins and maple syrup. For the celebration, Canadians decorate their homes with pumpkins, decorative wreaths, and straw and corn wreaths.
Canadians stock up on food for dinner ahead of time as stores are closed across the country on Thanksgiving Day, so days before the holidays, malls and small stores are always packed with shoppers. In addition, government offices, many cafes and restaurants, as well as the national postal service and banks are closed on Monday.
Thanksgiving is based on traditions that arose around the time when Europe’s first settlers appeared in the New World. In 1879, the Canadian Parliament decided to celebrate the holiday on November 6 and made it a day off, and in 1957 it was decided to celebrate the harvest festival on the second Monday in October. This is how Canadians differ from those in the United States, which celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November.
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