Similar, but different - that's how Thanksgiving in both countries can be explained, although that's not much of a thorough explanation. It might be confusing knowing that while both countries celebrate the same holiday by name, they're actually fairly different in terms of what's celebrated, when, and why. Especially when holidays such as Christmas and New Year's Eve are pretty universal, a major holiday such as Thanksgiving stands out quite a bit when we hear of another country celebrating it an entire month early, and in different ways.
Interestingly enough, the very first Thanksgiving in America wasn't celebrated until 1621 while Canada's Thanksgiving was first declared in 1578 by a man named Martin Frobisher, who held it in what is now Newfoundland. While the origins were similar, the holidays are not altogether the same and didn't even become national holidays at the same time. Furthermore, the dates of both have been changed quite a bit, as America's first Thanksgiving celebration didn't take place in late November. So, what are the differences between both?
The Dates Are Different
While the US has pretty much counted on Thanksgiving being the third Thursday of November for decades now, Canada's Thanksgiving has changed periodically. Originally, Canada celebrated its Thanksgiving in April and then in November along with the US, until Parliament eventually moved its permanent date to where it is now, on the second Monday every October.
The reason for this was due to another Canadian holiday called Remembrance Day, which is on November 11th each year, and had Thanksgiving not been changed, the two would have inevitably overlapped. So, while the US celebrates its Thanksgiving in November somewhere around the first American harvest feast, Canada celebrates an entire month sooner, and for a bit of a different reason.
Differences In Food
While the food made for Thanksgiving in the US and Thanksgiving in Canada isn't entirely different, they definitely contrast in some ways. Sweet potatoes, for example, are not smothered with sweetness from things such as brown sugar and marshmallows in Canada. Rather, they're left somewhat plain and are served as baked potatoes or just mashed after being roasted.
The traditional stuffing is different as well; In Canada, stuffing is made with either bread crumbs or rice rather than bread or cornbread like in the US. Speaking of bread, a Canadian Thanksgiving won't usually pull out entire baskets full of rolls or bread loaves, rather, they serve wheat-based rolls, which are slightly healthier. And lastly, pumpkin pie is different in Canada as well - there, the flavor profile is far spicer of a mix and less of a custard, and is flavored with ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.
What's Actually Celebrated
In both countries, the holiday is usually celebrated with family and if going home to family isn't on the schedule, then residents of both countries will use the extended weekend to travel. According to the Canadian Parliament, this is the purpose of Thanksgiving: "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October."
So while celebrating the harvest is the similarity between the two countries, the US observes the holiday as a direct result of the harvest festival that was held in New England nearly four centuries prior. Both origins involved tales of survival and triumph, however, when it came to settling and ensuring a good life and future for their families. Canada's Thanksgiving is also influenced by French, German, and Scottish immigrant traditions, making it somewhat of a melting pot holiday as well as a national one.
Black Friday Only Exists In One Country
While shopping is a big part of the holidays, in general, the idea of Black Friday and Cyber Monday only exists in the US. There's no such crazy shopping in Canada and it's not a common trend to go out the day after - or even the same night - that Thanksgiving is celebrated in order to take advantage of sales.
In fact, as opposed to celebrating on a Thursday, Canadian Thanksgiving is usually celebrated on a Saturday or a Sunday as Monday is usually declared part of the national holiday. In the US, Thanksgiving starts on Thursday, therefore Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are all part of the holiday weekend. There are parades in Canada to celebrate the holiday as are in the US, and football is a big part of both country's celebrations and traditions, although, obviously, not the same football teams.