Thanksgiving, the Canadian holiday, is quite different from the American celebration based on a supposed banquet shared between settlers and Indigenous peoples.
In Quebec (and Canada), the holiday has religious, Indigenous, and pagan origins. It is a time to give thanks for the abundance of the late-summer harvests.
The first official annual Thanksgiving celebration in Quebec took place on November 6, 1879. The date chosen reflected the arrival of fall in Europe and was later moved to the second Monday in October to align more closely with Indigenous celebrations marking the beginning of the season in Canada.
In 1957, Parliament designated the date as “the day on which we give thanks to Almighty God for the bountiful harvests with which He blesses Canada.”
Since every festival of abundance needs its feast—and since Quebec is an agricultural and livestock-raising region—we’re in a great position here in Montreal to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner using local ingredients and traditional family recipes.
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FOR THOSE WHO COOK
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ROAST TURKEY
Everyone has their own family recipe for roast turkey, and we’re not going to try to tell you (or your mother-in-law) how to make it…
In Quebec, it’s prepared quite simply, with a touch of maple syrup, a little red beer, a few sprigs of rosemary, and a lemon—you know where.
Recipe? We did manage to find a recipe from 1963 on the @museepop account—if you can make out the small print.
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TOURTIÈRES/MEAT PIES
It is Quebec’s English colonial heritage that endures through meat pies, chicken pies…
It’s more of a holiday recipe, but it’s our favorite, so we’re including it here—and if you have severalThanksgivingdinners orpotlucks, it’s easy to make with the leftovers from the feast… Plus, we’re eco-conscious.
For a recipe to try, we turn to the guru of Quebec cuisine—Ricardo’s website (which now has an app).
Recipe? Ricardo’s Chicken Pâté (the best)
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PECAN PIE
It’s the best (sorry,pumpkinpiesand apple pies) of all Thanksgiving pies, and it’s also one of the easiest pies to make.
Watch out! We’ll have to check if this isn’t already someone else’s “specialty”—if not, we’ll jump on it and become the expert.
Recipe? Ricardo’s Pecan Pie (the best)
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SIDE NOTES
In reality, the most important part of the Thanksgiving meal is the side dishes: Brussels sprouts with bacon, sweet potatoes and oven-roasted squash, sautéed mushrooms, garlic beans…
For recipes this time around, we’re heading over to the Tastet website and their recipes from Montreal chefs—because we’ve got aculinary edge, yes.
- Baumier-Style Squash à la Meunière
- Pan-Fried Radishes from Parcelles
- Roasted Carrots with Bacon, Goat Cheese, and Basil by Chef Pascal Turgeon of Tandem Restaurant
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Gia Sunflower Seeds
And finally… Bloomfield’s Pouding Chômeur recipe
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AND FOR THOSE WHO DON’T COOK
Don’t panic! Not all of us are born chefs, but we’re all well-mannered, and (hello, we’re Montrealers) we have impeccable taste.
Whether at our in-laws’ house, at a friend’s place, at ourcrush’s place, orfor French people who’ve been invited to a potluck, we’ll bring:
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FLOWERS AND PASTRIES
It’s a time-honored tradition, and we have the best florists in Montreal—right here!
But for Thanksgiving, you might want something a little morecurated —perhaps with a pretty gold ribbon or a card. And for that, we recommend stopping by the Olive et Gourmando shop for flowers, a coffee, a cinnamon roll, and a bouquet of dried flowers.
Where? 351 Saint-Paul Street West
When? Open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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FRUITS
Because the ultimate luxury is a basket of figs. Right now, at the markets (they have to be organic and/or local), you’ll find:
- figs
- apples
- pears
- pumpkins (classic; bonus points if you bring decorative mini-pumpkins)
- grapes
- Otherwise, we’ll bring some nuts for the aperitif
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WINE, CIDER
Since we’ll be taking a trip out to the countryside (because it’s fall and we’re going to see the fall colors), we recommend stopping at as many wineries and cideries as possible and stocking up on local bottles (and jams) to bring along when we’re invited to dinners, lunches, and brunches this season.
- Our Favorite Cideries
- Chelsea’s Vineyard and “Gilmore Girls”-Style Stroll
- Our Fall Road Trips Less Than 2 Hours from Montreal
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AND FOR THOSE ORGANIZING THE DINNER
This year, we’ll be the ones hosting the Thanksgiving dinner, with;
- long, colorful candles purchased at ANNEX Vintage
- a homemade roast turkey
- a mismatched set of glasses found at the new home decor shop at the Marché Floh
- ribbons and paper garlands made from tissue paper from Boucle et Papier
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