Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian friends, partners and clients!

Given that our CEO was born and raised in Canada, we thought to take this moment to wish all fellow Canadian friends, clients and partners celebrating worldwide - a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Although Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on a different date than the more commonly known Thanksgiving in the United States of America, the way the holiday is celebrated and it’s core purpose is very similar. Thanksgiving in both countries is a time for one to give thanks for all that one has and for all the blessings of the previous year. In both countries, Thanksgiving is celebrated by families having a big meal together with the main dishes being turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.

There are however some differences between the two countries’ celebrations and meaning around the holiday. Here are some interesting facts you may not have known about Canadian Thanksgiving:

1. In Canada, the main purpose of the holiday is to celebrate the Harvest. As Canada is geographically located further north than the United States, the harvest comes earlier, hence the celebration falls earlier in the year too.

2. The first ever Canadian Thanksgiving began 40 years earlier than the one in U.S. More specifically, the first recorded Thanksgiving celebration was held in 1578 when English explorer Martin Frobisher arrived in Newfoundland and to celebrate his safe arrival, held the first ever Thanksgiving feast, modelled after European harvest celebrations.

3. In America thanksgiving is an official national holiday celebrated all over the country whereas in Canada there are some provinces where the holiday is considered optional.

So, whether you are celebrating this holiday or not, this is still a good reminder to stop for a moment, and just appreciate everything you have. The world is very unstable today, and the global pandemic has really turned many things upside down and shown us that we really should not take anyone or anything for granted. All we have is the moment now, and it is important to be thankful for all the wonderful blessings that we have today.

“There is this quote from Melody Beattie that I truly love which says;

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

I really want to wish to everyone reading this, not just to those celebrating this holiday, to be filled with gratitude today. May it bring you peace of mind in this moment now and also inspire you with a beautiful vision of the future.  Happy Thanksgiving!”

– Roksoliana K. Melnyk, CEO, Emerald Group.