Canadian Happy Thanksgiving 2016

Canadian Happy Thanksgiving 2016

Thanksgiving Day in Canada, celebrated on the second Monday of October, falls this year on October 10. 

Historically this holiday had its roots in religious cultural traditions as prayers of thanks and their corresponding ceremonies are the norm among many religions after the harvest. 

Today, however, it is primarily celebrated as a secular holiday. It is considered a statutory holiday in all provinces except for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Despite their businesses being open, many Maritimers join in the celebrations regardless.

The origin of the first Thanksgiving in Canada can be traced all the way back to the explorer Martin Frobisher, who strove to find the Northwest Passage. 

-Sir Martin Frobisher (British School, Dulwich Picture Gallery)

Sir_Martin_Frobisher_by_Cornelis_Ketel

His Thanksgiving celebration, the giving of thanks, was not for a harvest but for his and his crew’s fortitude and their survival of the grueling long journey from England that led through the perils of storms and icebergs.

In 1578, on his third and final voyage to these regions in Frobisher Bay in Baffin Island (present-day Nunavut), during the formal ceremony and the first-ever service ministered by the preacher Robert Wolfall in which they celebrated Communion, Frobisher gave thanks to God. Hence the Thanksgiving tradition was born and it continued on with subsequent settlers that arrived in the Canadian colonies.

Painting by George Agnew Reid, (1908), arrival of Samuel de Champlain at Quebec City

Chaleur Bay and Gulf of Saint Lawrence — extract of Champlain 1612 Map

Canadian Thanksgiving can also be traced back to the French settlers who came to New France with the explorer Samuel de Champlain in the early 17th century. The French settlers celebrated their successful bounty at the end of the harvest season. The feast and the sharing of food also included the indigenous people of the area. Champlain had also proposed the creation of the Order of Good Cheer in 1606.

19th century artist's conception of Champlain by E. Ronjat 

19th century artist's conception of Champlain by E. Ronjat

With the arrival of many more immigrants in Canada, the celebrations of a good harvest became a common event. Scottish, Irish and Germans settlers have also enriched this tradition of giving thanks for the good harvest. 

The US tradition of Thanksgiving (such as the turkey or what were called Guinea fowls originating from Madagascar), was also incorporated when United Empire Loyalist fled from the United States during the American Revolution and settled in Canada.

This old Canadian tradition of giving thanks during family gatherings, regardless of religions and creeds, will undoubtedly grow and flourish, for many years to come.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

And Finally, I would like to include this nice Zen story about what it means to be thankful:

The Giver Should Be Thankful

The master of Engaku in Kamakura, Seisetsu was so well known for his teachings that many flocked to his tutelage. Consequently, the School’s accommodations became seriously overcrowded.

Umezu Sibei, a highly successful merchant of Edo, happened to be visiting the region and so paid a courtesy visit to the esteemed teacher. Noting the meagre lodgings of the school and feeling rather magnanimous he, on his return to his residence, made arrangements to donate five hundred pieces of gold (ryo) towards the construction of a more spacious school. 

A few days later, his chest swelling with pride, Umezu revisited the school and personally handed the sack of gold over to the teacher Seiseutsu. But when Seisetsu simply received the amount with his matter-of-fact attitude and only the assertion: “All right. I will take it.”, Umezu became highly dissatisfied.

One can live a whole year on just three ryo, Umezu grumbled under his breath, yet I’ve not received even a simple thank you for my magnanimous gift of five hundred ryo?

Refusing to take his leave, Umezu shifted uncomfortably and, after clearing his throat with a slight cough, added poignantly: “You know of course that in that sack are five hundred ryo?”

“Yes I know; you mentioned it previously.” Seisetsu replied impassively, turning to leave.

“Though I’m a wealthy merchant, five hundred ryo is still considered a hefty sum,” Umezu grumbled rather loudly.

“Do you wish a thank you for it?” Half turning, Seisetsu asked.

“Well, don’t you think you ought to?” responded Uzemu.

Seisetsu simply said: “Why? It’s the giver who should be thankful. ” 

Fini

Canadian Thanksgiving

Canadian Thanksgiving

Soon Thanksgiving will be upon us. Thanksgiving Day in Canada has been a holiday on the second Monday of October since 1957. This is a time where families get together, share a good meal and offer thanks for a good harvest and other fortunes. 

Given that Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday and many have a day off work (with all schools, banks, post offices, many stores and other businesses closed) people often use this time to visit family and friends or have a get-together over a special meal. Traditionally, the meal includes roast turkey, garnished rack of lamb or glazed ham and seasonal produce, such as pumpkin, corn ears, and squash and pecan nuts. 

Since Thanksgiving Day in Canada has being linked to the European tradition of harvest festivals, the image that is often seen at this time of year is a cornucopia, or horn, filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables.

The cornucopia, which means "Horn of Plenty" in Latin, was a symbol of bounty and plenty in ancient Greece. Turkeys, pumpkins, ears of corn and large displays of food are also used to symbolize Thanksgiving Day. 

It may interest you to know that the North American Indians had held ceremonies and festivals to celebrate the season and the completion and bounty of the harvest long before Europeans set foot on what is now considered Canada. 

Early European settlers continued the tradition of thanksgiving to offer thanks. The earliest example of this would be the ceremony the explorer Martin Frobisher held in 1578, after his survival of the long perilous journey in his quest to find a northern passage from Europe to Asia. 

Refugees fleeing the civil war in the United States brought their brand of celebratory thanksgiving festival and since 1879 Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated, though the date varied and there was differing special theme each year. 

The “Blessings of the abundant harvest” however stuck for many years till, Queen Victoria's golden and diamond jubilees and King Edward VII's coronation formed the theme in subsequent years.

There are many Thanksgiving stories, but for something different, I feel that this Zen tale can be rather apropos, enjoy:

Publishing the Sutras

Tetsugen, a devotee of Zen in Japan, decided to publish the sutras, which at that time were available only in Chinese. The books were to be printed with wood blocks in an edition of seven thousand copies, a tremendous undertaking. 

Tetsugen began by traveling and collecting donations for this purpose. A few sympathizers would give him a hundred pieces of gold, but most of the time he received only small coins. He thanked each donor with equal gratitude. After ten years Tetsugen had enough money to begin his task. 

It happened that at that time the Uji Rive overflowed. Famine followed. Tetsugen took the funds he had collected for the books and spent them to save others from starvation. 

Then he began again his work of collecting. Several years afterwards an epidemic spread over the country. Tetsugen again gave away what he had collected, to help his people.

For a third time he started his work, and after twenty years his wish was fulfilled. The printing blocks which produced the first edition of sutras can be seen today in the Obaku monastery in Kyoto. 

The Japanese tell their children that Tetsugen made three sets of sutras, and that the first two invisible sets surpass even the last. 

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving Day

Fini

Canadian Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving Day is mainly celebrated in Canada and United States.  In Canada where the temperature become colder sooner and the harvest comes before that of the United States the celebrations are held on the second Monday of October, whereas in the United States Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

Historically this holiday had its roots in religious cultural traditions as prayers of thanks and their corresponding ceremonies are the norm among many religions after the harvest.  Today, however, it is primarily celebrated as a secular holiday. It is considered a statutory holiday in all provinces except for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Despite their businesses being open, many Maritime citizens join in on the celebrations regardless.

Here’s an account of brief History of Thanksgiving from Wikipedia:

“The origin of the first Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to the explorer Martin Frobisher who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean. Frobisher's Thanksgiving celebration was not for harvest but was in thanks for surviving the long journey from England through the perils of storms and icebergs. In 1578, on his third and final voyage to these regions, Frobisher held a formal ceremony in Frobisher Bay in Baffin Island (present-day Nunavut) to give thanks to God and in a service ministered by the preacher Robert Wolfall they celebrated Communion — the first-ever service in these regions. Years later, the tradition of a feast would continue as more settlers began to arrive in the Canadian colonies.


The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving can also be traced to the French settlers who came to New France with explorer Samuel de Champlain in the early 17th century, who also took to celebrating their successful harvests. The French settlers in the area typically had feasts at the end of the harvest season and continued throughout the winter season, even sharing their food with the indigenous peoples of the area. Champlain had also proposed for the creation of the Order of Good Cheer in 1606.


As many more settlers arrived in Canada, more celebrations of good harvest became common. New immigrants into the country, such as the Irish, Scottish and Germans, would also add their own traditions to the harvest celebrations. Most of the U.S. aspects of Thanksgiving (such as the turkey or what were called Guinea fowls originating from Madagascar), were incorporated when United Empire Loyalist began to flee from the United States during the American Revolution and settled in Canada.”

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.