It’s Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and we have so much music to be thankful for. There are songs of coming home, the garden and the harvest, cooking, saying grace and being thankful for all the good things in life, and celebrating family, and more. Things are weird and different this year, but there is still much to be thankful for.

The native peoples of the Americas held ceremonies and festivals to celebrate the completion and bounty of the harvest long before European explorers and settlers arrived in what is now Canada. Early European thanksgivings were held to give thanks for some special fortune. An early example is the ceremony the explorer Martin Frobisher held in 1578 after he had survived the long journey in his quest to find a northern passage from Europe to Asia.

Many thanksgivings were held following noteworthy events during the 18th century. Refugees fleeing the civil war in the United States brought the custom of an annual thanksgiving festival to Canada. From 1879, Thanksgiving Day was held every year but the date varied and there was a special theme each year. The theme was the “Blessings of an abundant harvest” for many years. However, Queen Victoria’s golden and diamond jubilees and King Edward VII’s coronation formed the theme in later years.

From the end of the First World War until 1930, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving Day were celebrated on the Monday closest to November 11, the anniversary of the official end of hostilities in World War I. In 1931, Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving Day was moved to a Monday in October. Since 1957, Thanksgiving Day has always been held on the second Monday in October. (Source: Time and Date)

In normal years, we can come together with friends and family and be thankful and celebrate. That looks different this year but hopefully you found ways to celebrate and things to be thankful and grateful for. I am very thankful for the music Canadian artists keep creating for us. May this playlist on Spotify and YouTube, bring you some enjoyment and thank you for listening. Happy Thanksgiving!