I just had a question for all of you Canadian Orgers out there. Tomorrow, here in the USA, we celebrate Columbus Day, which is a legal holiday where the banks, government offices, and schools are closed for the day, but everything else is open, so if you don't work in government, education or banking, you most likely have to go to work. But up north of us, it's Thanksgiving Day. Do you have a huge celebration like we do, with a huge turkey dinner, where you stuff your face till you're just about ready to puke? Or do you do something different?

Oh, I forgot, Happy Thanksgiving!

[Edited 10/10/10 13:41pm]

Awwww Happy Thanksgiving to you, Huey!

I'm gonna celebrate it the way I celebrate every year...cooking! And no, I don't intend on being wasteful. I make just enough for my family, so we eat light and healthfully. Yesterday though, I made 8 loaves of banana bread, 2 dozen cupcakes (1 dozen chocolate chip and 1 dozen almond), and 6 mini chocolate chip banana loaves that I'm giving away to anyone who wants them (in the spirit of Thanksgiving).

Here's a couple of pictures of how they turned out:

Eating turkey and hanging out with my little man, parents and an aunt and uncle.

I went shopping here today as well (which I do every year).

http://www.thirdworldbaza...index.html

Sir,
I'm genuinely not being facetious, but do modern day American Indians celebrate thanksgiving? Do they work that holiday? If yes, why do they care whitey found a new breeding ground?
Sincerely,
Yet doubtlessly pissing on the parade,
Billy,
Scotland.

Number23 said:

Sir, I'm genuinely not being facetious, but do modern day American Indians celebrate thanksgiving? Do they work that holiday? If yes, why do they care whitey found a new breeding ground? Sincerely, Yet doubtlessly pissing on the parade, Billy, Scotland.

Canadian thanksgiving is not about pilgrims and Indians. It doesn't have the same meaning as American Thanksgiving.

JustErin said:

What does it mean?

Number23 said:

JustErin said:

Canadian thanksgiving is not about pilgrims and Indians. It doesn't have the same meaning as American Thanksgiving.

What does it mean?

It's a celebration of the harvest.

Number23 said:

JustErin said:

Canadian thanksgiving is not about pilgrims and Indians. It doesn't have the same meaning as American Thanksgiving.

What does it mean?

It's simply the celebration of the close of the harvest season.

It has nothing to do with settling pilgrims or even a thanks to God like it does in the US.

JustErin said:

Sounds a bit Pagan. Righteous, though. I'm not trying to be clever with the Indian thing - I'm sure everyone's aware of The USA's, eh, troubled birth - I'm genuinely curious as to whether today's American Indians choose to ignore it. But you're Canadian so I'm barking up the wrong tree. I'll ask google.

Number23 said:

JustErin said:

It's simply the celebration of the close of the harvest season.

It has nothing to do with settling pilgrims or even a thanks to God like it does in the US.

Sounds a bit Pagan. Righteous, though. I'm not trying to be clever with the Indian thing - I'm sure everyone's aware of The USA's, eh, troubled birth - I'm genuinely curious as to whether today's American Indians choose to ignore it. But you're Canadian so I'm barking up the wrong tree. I'll ask google.

For the best results you might want to type in something other than Indians, lol.

In the US they're referred to as Native Americans and in Canada they're called First Nations.

Number23 said:

JustErin said:

It's simply the celebration of the close of the harvest season.

It has nothing to do with settling pilgrims or even a thanks to God like it does in the US.

Sounds a bit Pagan. Righteous, though. I'm not trying to be clever with the Indian thing - I'm sure everyone's aware of The USA's, eh, troubled birth - I'm genuinely curious as to whether today's American Indians choose to ignore it. But you're Canadian so I'm barking up the wrong tree. I'll ask google.

Lest you despair, Number 23, this line of discussion isn't altogether untimely: Oct. 11 is Canadian Thanksgiving, but it's Columbus Day in the U.S. -- and many of the questions you raise here remain relevant. You might be happy to know, too, that they haven't gone altogether ignored. This is a U.S. ad from last year that's again circulating...

^

I'd only add that while Canada's frontier history isn't altogether identical to that of the U.S., they too could probably benefit from some formal annual recognition of its aboriginal roots, IMHO.

[Edited 10/10/10 19:53pm]

Lammastide said:

^

I'd only ad that while Canada's frontier history isn't altogether identical to that of the U.S., they too could probably benefit from some formal annual recognition of its aboriginal roots, IMHO.

What's your stance on the tax breaks for First Nations people in Canada? Some argue that it's making the people unhealthily dependent on them, that they're strongly overcompensating or that it's starting to get bizarre that they're forcing a line to be drawn of what's still First Nations (one quarter? one eighth? one sixteenth?). Others point to the fact that the tax breaks are fair since the rampant alcoholism and unemployment in the First Nations community still is a direct effect of what was done to them long ago, or that they seriousness of the situation simply make them necessary.

I think I kind of have a leg in both camps, especially after having heard First Nations people themselves express almost all of the above.

Lammastide said:

Number23 said:

JustErin said: Sounds a bit Pagan. Righteous, though. I'm not trying to be clever with the Indian thing - I'm sure everyone's aware of The USA's, eh, troubled birth - I'm genuinely curious as to whether today's American Indians choose to ignore it. But you're Canadian so I'm barking up the wrong tree. I'll ask google.

Lest you despair, Number 23, this line of discussion isn't altogether untimely: Oct. 11 is Canadian Thanksgiving, but it's Columbus Day in the U.S. -- and many of the questions you raise here remain relevant. You might be happy to know, too, that they haven't gone altogether ignored. This is a U.S. ad from last year that's again circulating...

As an American, I can say you're probably more referring to our celebration of Columbus Day. While it is a legal holiday in the USA, it's not a major holiday like Independence Day, Labor Day, Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. And yes, a lot of Americans question the point of celebrating Christopher Columbus' "discovery" of the Western Hemisphere when there were already thriving Native American/First Nation civilizations here already, and also because the Vikings had come to North America about 400 years earlier.

But like JustErin said, our Thanksgiving (which actually happens toward the end of next month) was based on the Pilgrims surviving their first year in the North American wilderness after sailing from England and having a huge feast with the Native American tribes who they encountered. It just happens to coincide with harvest season; no, wait, actually our harvest season ends a few weeks earlier, but it sort of signals the unofficial end of autumn in the USA. While our Thanksgiving holiday is officially secular in nature, it does have a lot of religious and spiritual overtones; most likely due to its Puritan origins.

[Edited 10/10/10 19:15pm]

728huey said:

Lammastide said:

Lest you despair, Number 23, this line of discussion isn't altogether untimely: Oct. 11 is Canadian Thanksgiving, but it's Columbus Day in the U.S. -- and many of the questions you raise here remain relevant. You might be happy to know, too, that they haven't gone altogether ignored. This is a U.S. ad from last year that's again circulating...

As an American, I can say you're probably more referring to our celebration of Columbus Day. While it is a legal holiday in the USA, it's not a major holiday like Independence Day, Labor Day, Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. And yes, a lot of Americans question the point of celebrating Christopher Columbus' "discovery" of the Western Hemisphere when there were already thriving Native American/First Nation civilizations here already, and also because the Vikings had come to North America about 400 years earlier.

But like JustErin said, our Thanksgiving (which actually happens toward the end of next month) was based on the Pilgrims surviving their first year in the North American wilderness after sailing from England and having a huge feast with the Native American tribes who they encountered. It just happens to coincide with harvest season; no, wait, actually our harvest season ends a few weeks earlier, but it sort of signals the unofficial end of autumn in the USA. While our Thanksgiving holiday is officially secular in nature, it does have a lot of religious and spiritual overtones; most likely due to its Puritan origins.

[Edited 10/10/10 19:15pm]

Thanks for that synopsis, Huey. I think your descriptions are pretty accurate. (I'm an American, too, by the way. I've only lived in Canada for 4 years. )

The Canadian and U.S Thanksgiving are certainly quite different... as are U.S. Thanksgiving and Columbus Day. With regard to the issues Number23 brings up, though, I think both American holidays invoke a certain legacy that beg kindred review. That's all.

[Edited 10/10/10 20:49pm]

Celebrated with family. We all ate lots of good food!!!

I get to celebrate it 2X a year.