Thanksgiving, the Canadian Thanksgiving, is quite different from the American celebration based on a supposed banquet shared between settlers and natives.
In Quebec (and Canada), the holiday has religious, aboriginal and pagan origins. It’s a moment of gratitude for the abundance of the late summer harvest…
And for those who won’t be visiting family in the region for the three-day Thanksgiving weekend-October 11, 12 and 13, 2025-we ‘ve got the perfect plans for a weekend of fall fun while staying in Montreal.
Thanksgiving
Historically, most European civilizations have had a feast or festival to celebrate the end of harvest and the return of darker days.
With grain silos full to bursting, summer fruit jams made, hens warm in their coop, we can express our gratitude with an autumn feast for family and friends.
As early as 1606, settlers in “New France” began celebrating Thanksgiving, but it would be over 300 years before the holiday became official.
The first official annual celebration of Thanksgiving in Quebec took place on November 6, 1879. The early date reflected the arrival of autumn in Europe, and was later moved to the second Monday in October to bring it into line with Aboriginal celebrations of the beginning of the season in Canada.
In 1957, the date was decreed by Parliament to be “a day for giving thanks to Almighty God for the bountiful harvests with which he has blessed Canada”.
Nowadays, Thanksgiving is best celebrated with a feast shared with loved ones: turkey, pumpkin, pecan pie, tourtières… We’ve got a few recipes here!
Thanksgiving in Montreal
The long weekend of October 11, 12 and 13 is all about abundance and gratitude. To celebrate Thanksgiving, we’ve got plans;
Thanksgiving feast
Selecting, preparing, cooking and eating seasonal dishes with family and friends is one way to share a moment of gratitude and celebration.
We recommend taking your time, wrapping your neck in a scarf and shopping at one of Montreal’s public markets.
It’ll be cool, the leaves will be red on the trees and it ‘ ll be time to show off your culinary skills…
Walks in the forest
It’s also a quiet time to get together and appreciate the sublime nature of Quebec autumn.
For those who want to get out of the city, we recommend a fall stroll in the region, and we’ve got a list here!
For those who want to stay in town and avoid the stress of taking the car, we recommend a stroll and a picnic in one of the city’s parks… We’ve got a list here!
For those who want a spooky stroll, because it’ll soon be Halloween, we recommend a visit to one of Montreal’s haunted spots. We’ve got a list here!
Coffees, pumpkin spice lattes and gratitude
It’s also a long weekend of calm and sweetness. For that, nothing beats a coffee and a stroll through Montreal’s coolest neighborhoods – and a long afternoon of nothing at all.
For those who want a pumpkin spice latte, we’ve got a list of ultra-cozy cafés to try, here!
For those looking for a long walk, we recommend the Lachine Canal and Griffintown.
Happy Thanksgiving!