# Why do Canadians and Americans have different Thanksgiving Holidays?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-canadians-and-americans-have-different-thanksgiving-holidays/215652>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 28, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-canadians-and-americans-have-different-thanksgiving-holidays/215652 "2003-11-28T01:41:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Badbug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Badbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badbug)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-canadians-and-americans-have-different-thanksgiving-holidays/215652/1 "2003-11-28T01:41:43Z")

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I am a Canadian and just recently heard that Canadians and Americans used to share the same day for Thanksgiving. Ours is currently in October. Why did it change? Who changed it and when?

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**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-canadians-and-americans-have-different-thanksgiving-holidays/215652/2 "2003-11-28T01:57:30Z")

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We moved it around a lot.

Mostly, it was moved after WWI, so as not to fall so close to Remembrance Day, which is a very big thing here in Canada.

[http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/jfa-ha/action\_e.cfm](http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/jfa-ha/action_e.cfm)

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**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-canadians-and-americans-have-different-thanksgiving-holidays/215652/3 "2003-11-28T02:25:00Z")

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I was just watching CNN and they had a guy on who writes “Don’t Know Much About” books. In his book, “Don’t Know Much About Pilgrims”, he says that:

~ The first Thanksgiving, held in mid-October, lasted for three whole days!

~ The Pilgrims didn’t really wear silver buckles on their hats and shoes! The idea of this came from an artist’s rendition, over one hundred years later.

~ The Pilgrims didn’t really wear silver buckles on their hats and shoes! The idea of this came from an artist’s rendition, over one hundred years later.

And that’s my 2¢ …

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**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-canadians-and-americans-have-different-thanksgiving-holidays/215652/4 "2003-11-28T02:29:32Z")

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How about it’s damn hard to harvest when the ground is frozen? 🙂

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**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-canadians-and-americans-have-different-thanksgiving-holidays/215652/5 "2003-11-28T03:55:19Z")

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Grey hit it on the head… Harvest times are different. They’re seperate because pioneers/pilgrims were “thankful” for the harvest a different times.

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**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-canadians-and-americans-have-different-thanksgiving-holidays/215652/6 "2003-11-28T03:59:59Z")

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Well maybe. From **Rodd Hill** ’s link

> [@](#):
>
> From 1879 to 1898, both inclusive, it was observed on a Thursday in November. In 1899, it was fixed on a Thursday in October, where it stayed until 1907, with the exception of 1901 and 1904 when the date was fixed on a Thursday in November.
> 
> From 1908 to 1921, it was observed on a Monday in October, the exact date being appointed by proclamation.

so it seems November was ok to harvest. However we apparently got lazy with all that “proclaiming” stuff. 🙂

> [@](#):
>
> From 1936 to 1956, inclusive, a proclamation was issued yearly to appoint the second Monday of October as Thanksgiving Day. In 1957, a proclamation was issued fixing permanently Thanksgiving Day on that day, thus eliminating the necessity of an annual proclamation.