Canadian Thanksgiving
Canadian Thanksgiving differs from the more well-known US version, but the important thing is to take time to show gratitude for the positive things in your life.
Position Canadian Thanksgiving as a harvest-focused gratitude moment distinct from U.S. Thanksgiving, driving earlier-season retail, food, and travel promotions in October.
- Celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving early: harvest-inspired recipes and table décor ideas
- Why Canadian Thanksgiving is October, not November—and why it matters for your family gathering
- Gratitude campaigns: help customers give thanks with meaningful gifts and experiences before the holiday rush
- Travel promotions: escape-and-gather packages for Canadian Thanksgiving weekends
Campaign ideas8
- Launch seasonal limited-edition products with Canadian/fall themes (pumpkin, cranberry, apple)—coffee shops, beverage brands, & food CPGs work best
- Run 12-48-hour flash sales with countdown timers online and across email/SMS to create FOMO before Black Friday overshadows the holiday
- Create customer gratitude campaigns: thank loyal customers with early-access discounts, exclusive bundles, or heartfelt handwritten notes & branded gifts
- Host a 'Gratitude Wall' (online or in-store) where customers post what they're thankful for, then feature UGC on social media & email
- Partner with influencers to showcase Thanksgiving prep, tableware styling, recipes, or gift guides—especially lifestyle, food, & home décor brands
- Offer a give-back campaign: donate 5% of sales to a local charity during Thanksgiving week, with clear messaging about which org & why
- Run a Thanksgiving-themed giveaway or contest: ask customers to share their favorite tradition or tag friends for a chance to win themed bundles
- Create gift guides or 'Gifts for' collections to help shoppers find last-minute items tied to gratitude & appreciation themes
Social angles6
- "What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?" – Ask followers to share their gratitude in replies, stories, or with a custom hashtag. Keep it genuine, not pushy. #CanadianThanksgiving #Grateful #ThankfulFor
- Behind-the-scenes or employee spotlight: "Meet [name], who's been part of our family for [X] years. We're grateful for them!" #ThankYou #TeamSpotlight #Thanksgiving2025
- Nostalgic family/traditions angle: "Thanksgiving looks different for everyone—share YOUR tradition with us. Tag a friend you'll be celebrating with." #MyThanksgiving #ThanksgivingTraditions
- Product-focused with gratitude: "This season, we're grateful for customers like you. Here's [limited offer] as our thank you." #SupportLocal #ThanksgivingWeekend #EarlyAccess
- Seasonal flavor/menu reveal: "Guess what's new on our menu? Drop a 🍂 if you're excited for [pumpkin spice/cranberry/etc] season." #NewFlavor #SeasonalMenu #ThanksgivingReady
- Charity/giving back: "5% of this week's sales goes to [local charity]. Here's why they matter to us..." #GivingBack #ThankfulCommunity #SupportOurCommunity
Ad copy starters5
“"This Thanksgiving, we're grateful for you. Enjoy 30% off as our thanks. Ends Oct 13."”
“"Limited-edition Thanksgiving Blend: order now before it's gone. Only available Oct 7–13."”
“"Thank your favorites: send a gift code to a friend or family member. Share the gratitude."”
“"Thanksgiving early access: loyalty members unlock 40% off 48 hours before Black Friday."”
“"Celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving your way. Find the perfect gift in our Thankful Edit collection."”
Tips4
- DON'T: Make it only about sales or Black Friday prep. Canadian Thanksgiving is quieter & less commercialized than U.S. Thanksgiving—honor that by leading with gratitude & community, not just promos. Brands that lead with purpose over pricing build loyalty.
- DO: Use warm autumn colors (burnt orange, cranberry, golden yellow, olive green, warm beige) consistently across all visuals. Consistency ties campaigns together & makes them memorable.
- DON'T: Wait until late September to start. Begin weaving in fall visuals in mid-September, gratitude messaging 3 weeks before, and core promotions 2 weeks out. Early momentum matters.
- DO: Treat Thanksgiving as a calm window before BFCM frenzy. Inboxes are less crowded, so campaigns hit harder. Use it to re-engage lapsed customers & build goodwill before the holiday sales rush.
Long before Canada celebrated thanksgiving, the native people of America held festivals and ceremonies to celebrate the completion and bounty of harvest way before European settlers and explorers arrived in what is known as Canada today. Early European thanksgivings took place in order to give thanks for some special fortune. One example of this is the ceremony that Martin Frobisher held in 1578. He held this ceremony after he survived an extensive journey in an aim to find a passage to Asia from Europe.
A lot of thanksgivings in the 18th century occurred after noteworthy events. The custom of a yearly thanksgiving festival was first brought to Canada as a result of refugees fleeing from the civil war in the United States. From 1879, Thanksgiving Day occurred each year, yet there were different themes and it was held on a different day every year. One of the most common themes for a lot of years was “Blessings of an abundant harvest.” Nevertheless, in later years King Edward VII’s coronation and Queen Victoria’s diamond and golden jubilees formed the theme in later years.
From the end of WW1 until 1930, both Thanksgiving Day and Armistice Day were celebrated on the Monday falling the closest to the 11th of November, which is the date that marked the official end of hostilities in WW1. Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day in 1931. Also, Thanksgiving was moved to a Monday in October. Since 1957, it has always occurred on the Second Monday of October.
Canadian Thanksgiving is associated with the European tradition of harvest festivals. At this time of year, a common image that people see is a horn – cornucopia – that is filled with seasonal vegetables and fruit. The cornucopia means ‘Horn of Plenty’ in Latin. In Ancient Greece, this was a symbol of plenty of bounty. Ears of corn, pumpkins, and turkeys, as well as large displays of food, are also used to symbolize Canadian Thanksgiving.
Yes; Canadian Thanksgiving is a public holiday in Canada. A lot of people have the day off work. All post offices and schools are also closed, as well as a lot of businesses and stores. There is also usually a reduced timetable in terms of public transport, with some services not running at all. Some areas have different rules and regulations. For example, in Nova Scotia, this day is deemed a retail closing day. This means that some retail companies are not allowed to open and employees have a legal right to refuse to work. In New Brunswick, this is deemed a day of rest. This means that businesses have to close on this day.
Differences Between U.S. And Canadian Thanksgiving
Of course, a lot of people will think about the U.S when they hear the word thanksgiving, and so you may be wondering if the two holidays are observed in the same way. There are actually some key differences between both of them. For example, in the U.S. Black Friday – a huge retail sales event – is typically coupled with Thanksgiving. However, the Canadian equivalent of this is Boxing Day, and this happens two months after Thanksgiving. You will also notice that parades and football are smaller affairs in Canada. Similarly to the U.S., you can expect football marathons to occur on the day, giving families the opportunity to watch plenty of sport. Aside from this, the traditions are pared down a little bit. It is also worth pointing out that Thanksgiving Day in the United States takes place in November, not October. There are a number of reasons why this is the case. One is because the Canadian Thanksgiving is more about thanks for the harvest season, as opposed to being about the arrival of pilgrims. Furthermore, geographically, Canada is further north than the U.S. This means that the Canadian harvest season will arrive a little bit before the American harvest season does. This is why it makes sense for Canadian Thanksgiving to occur in October, rather than November.