Like the United States, Canada gives thanks for its good fortune once a year and eats itself silly with turkey and mashed potatoes.

Whereas in the US, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, in Canada the second Monday of October is a statutory, or public, holiday. This year, Canadian Thanksgiving falls on Monday, Oct 11, 2010.

The Canadian Thanksgiving holiday is officially observed on the second Monday of October, however people generally get together for their Thanksgiving meal on any one of the three days of this three-day holiday weekend.

Although Canadians do tend to get together on Thanksgiving weekend, the holiday is not as big a deal in Canada as it is in the US, where Thanksgiving seems to be the year's biggest holiday occasion. Nevertheless, Thanksgiving weekend is a popular time for Canadians to gather with family, so more people than usual are traveling on that weekend.

Canada does not have a big shopping day after Thanksgiving the way the United States does. Boxing Day - December 26th - is the equivalent in terms of big sales and shopping extravaganzas in Canada.

Like other public holidays in Canada, banks, government offices, schools and many businesses are closed. Call ahead to find out about other tourist attractions and landmarks, some of which may remain open.

When is the Thanksgiving Holiday in Canada?

2008: Monday, Oct 13
2009: Monday, Oct 12
2010: Monday, Oct 11
2011: Monday, Oct 10
2012: Monday, Oct 8
2013: Monday, Oct 14
2014: Monday, Oct 13
2015: Monday, Oct 12

相關中文：

美國是在1863年，由總統(tǒng)林肯正式宣布感恩節(jié)為國定假日。通常美國感恩節(jié)的典故總是離不開清教徒和著名領袖布雷德福、102名同伴、重180噸長90英尺的木制帆船五月花號、科德角灣、普利茅斯港、印度安人和酋長馬薩索德。這些是美洲新英格蘭第一個永久性殖民地的歷史見證。

加拿大感恩節(jié)的慶祝活動是在十月的第二個星期一。與美國人緬懷清教徒先輩定居新大陸的傳統(tǒng)不同，加拿大人主要感謝上天給予的成功的收獲。加拿大的感恩節(jié)早于美國的感恩節(jié)，一個簡單的事實是，加拿大的收獲季節(jié)相對于美國早一些，因為加拿大更靠近北部。加拿大的感恩節(jié)通常被認為受三個傳統(tǒng)習慣的影響。

兩國的感恩節(jié)之間有許多相似性，譬如裝滿花果谷物象征豐饒的山羊角（cornucopia）和南瓜餅（pumpkin pie）。加拿大感恩大餐的餐桌上的食物通常也與地域和時間的變化而不同，有些是鹿肉和水鳥，有些是野鴨野鵝，但目前主要是火雞和火腿。