In Canada, this is Thanksgiving weekend, culminating in Turkey Day itself on Monday (mind you, this vegetarian only eats tofurkey!). As a kid watching soap operas with my grandfather, I used to get
really confused when everyone sat down for "Thanksgiving" dinner on a Thursday in late November. "What
are they doing?" I said to my grandfather. "Don't they know that Thanksgiving was ages ago -- and it's on a
Monday?" Where our American friends associate Thanksgiving with the beginning of the festive season, in Canada we have quite different associations. In my part of the country, it's about autumn leaves ablaze with their most brilliant reds and oranges, the harvest of squash and yams and rutabagas, unpredictable weather. At my parents place on the lake, where I usually spend my Thanksgivings (though not this year), we've had everything from a dusting of snow in the morning -- sure to melt by lunchtime -- to balmy weather that allowed us to take our late afternoon hors d'oeuvres down to the dock so we could savour the last unexpected gasp of summer.
This year we're at our own home for this long weekend, just the two of us, planning to visit the lake next weekend instead. We're skipping the feast. Taking it easy. Going to the velodrome to watch bike racing tonight. Going to see our favourite junior hockey team play tomorrow afternoon. Putzing around the garden and planting some bulbs. And, of course, giving thanks to the universe for the fullness of life. I completed my work for the deadline a day earlier than my personal deadline. So today -- the first day of a three day weekend -- I am experiencing time as expansive and utterly nonthreatening. Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving, whether on Monday or in November!
In Canada, this is Thanksgiving weekend, culminating in Turkey Day itself on Monday (mind you, this vegetarian only eats tofurkey!). As a kid watching soap operas with my grandfather, I used to get really confused when everyone sat down for "Thanksgiving" dinner on a Thursday in late November. "What are they doing?" I said to my grandfather. "Don't they know that Thanksgiving was ages ago -- and it's on a Monday?" Where our American friends associate Thanksgiving with the beginning of the festive season, in Canada we have quite different associations. In my part of the country, it's about autumn leaves ablaze with their most brilliant reds and oranges, the harvest of squash and yams and rutabagas, unpredictable weather. At my parents place on the lake, where I usually spend my Thanksgivings (though not this year), we've had everything from a dusting of snow in the morning -- sure to melt by lunchtime -- to balmy weather that allowed us to take our late afternoon hors d'oeuvres down to the dock so we could savour the last unexpected gasp of summer. 
This year we're at our own home for this long weekend, just the two of us, planning to visit the lake next weekend instead. We're skipping the feast. Taking it easy. Going to the velodrome to watch bike racing tonight. Going to see our favourite junior hockey team play tomorrow afternoon. Putzing around the garden and planting some bulbs. And, of course, giving thanks to the universe for the fullness of life. I completed my work for the deadline a day earlier than my personal deadline. So today -- the first day of a three day weekend -- I am experiencing time as expansive and utterly nonthreatening. Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving, whether on Monday or in November!
11 comments:
Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the celebration :)
Your cyber twin :)
Happy Thanksgiving! And thanks for sharing Canada's history.
Have you seen the movie "Home for the Holidays"? Let's just say I adore that movie because that's how holidays are in my life. I can't wait until January (although I do try to stop and give thanks for all I have).
This will be more fodder for essays...if I decide to ever "go there."
:)
Congrats on finishing this submission as well.
Luckily, it's a long weekend for us on Monday--Columbus Day. No teaching! :)
ti, what I love about your writing is that you set the scene so nicely, I feel like I know where you live, like I'm right there with you. I enjoy hanging out at your place. It feels calm.
Thanks, Tammy and FC for the Thanksgiving wishes.
I don't think I've seen Home for the Holidays (who's in it?) but I could be wrong because I've seen lots of movies with that theme.
Thank you, Repeater. The funny thing is that I get a sense of calm about your place -- the whole idea of being on an island, hauling wood for the winter, getting up with the moon...
Oh, I suppose it is calm out here, but I've always got so much to do, you know. I create my own frenzy.
Do you know why your Thanksgiving occurs when it does? If it's a harvest festival, then it makes sense that you'd need to harvest now.
I learned this year that Victoria Day and Memorial Day serve a similar purpose. They're both considered the start of the spring gardening season. Or at least that's what my cousins whom we visited in Ottawa on Victoria Day told us.
But your climate is colder than ours, so why would you plant before us? In Massachusetts, we believe that the last frost should have occurred by the end of May.
My Backyard, I think it just means that our growing season is shorter, not necessarily that we plant earlier. It does celebrate the harvest. The history of it is that on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed...
"A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.
Victoria Day, whatever other purpose it serves (the un-official beginning of "summer") marks Queen Victoria's birthday (we're still a commonwealth country).
I guess Canadians are desperate for the beginning of summer, if they celebrate it before we do.
Still, I'm not saying your cousins are wrong: I'm not a big gardener. And yes, usually by then we ARE desperate for the beginning of summer. Popele start boating and all the rest of it on that Victoria Day weekend come hell or high water (or rain or snow or sleet or hail)!
:)
I agree with FC about that movie. Very good. As far as stars, all I remember is Clair Danes. I'm awful with movie stars. It must feel nice to spend the holiday quietly. We'll be doing that for our T-giving. It'll just be me and Bri and my parents. Hope you enjoyed your tofurkey! (Bri loves that, I hate it!)
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