Canada celebrated Thanksgiving

This year, Canada celebrated Thanksgiving on October 9. This is one of the most important holidays in the country, which is usually spent with loved ones. Its date was postponed several times and was finally fixed only in 1957. Since then, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated strictly on the second Monday of October, which always falls between the 8th and 14th. Many families organize family feasts on the Sunday before the holiday. The traditional dishes are stuffed turkey and pumpkin pie.

In his holiday address to the nation, Prime Minister Trudeau made special mention of the emergency workers who performed valiantly during natural disasters such as fires, floods and hurricanes. Trudeau, however, saw Canadians' ability to pull together in the face of adversity as a core value:

"This year, Canadians had each other’s backs, like we always do in tough times. As we saw firsthand the increasingly disruptive impacts of climate change, from devastating floods, to hurricanes, to wildfires, we also saw what we can do when we come together as a country. Today, we thank the countless first responders who risked their lives to save others. We recognize the kindness and selflessness of Canadians who stepped up to take in evacuees and provide them with food and shelter. Today, we pay tribute to these heroes, whose efforts exemplify the best of what it means to be Canadian."

The tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving dates back to a widespread tradition in both Europe and the indigenous peoples of North America to mark the end of the harvest. One of the first documented celebrations in what is now Canada was in 1578. At that time, the English navigator Martin Frobisher held a thanksgiving service in honor of the fact that at least part of his crew had miraculously survived the failed expedition.

Today Thanksgiving is a national holiday in Canada, but not all provinces officially recognize it. Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia do not celebrate it, although government offices are not open even here. Throughout the rest of Canada, Thanksgiving is equally widely celebrated, with officials offering congratulatory speeches. For example, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith this year emphasized how great it is to live in this province:

"As Albertans, we have much to be thankful for: the families and friends around us, the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty throughout our province, the freedom to worship as we choose and the ability to work in our chosen fields and pursue world-class education."

This year's Thanksgiving Day presented an unexpected problem for Canadian citizens stranded in Israel. They found it more difficult than some other tourists to leave the country, which was in the midst of an active full-scale war.

Several people complained to the media that the embassy was closed for Thanksgiving and was not responding to citizens' inquiries. However, the government promptly responded to the situation and provided citizens with alternative ways to contact Canadian representatives.