A Brief History
Canadian Thanksgiving corresponds in time and tradition more closely with European harvest festivals than American Thanksgiving. The first thanksgiving celebration in North America took place when an explorer from England, Martin Frobisher, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. This explorer wanted to give thanks for his safe journey.
Being Thankful
Just like Martin Frobisher gave thanks for his safe arrival into Canada, we want to give thanks during this holiday as well. This holiday is a great time to teach children to be thankful.
Lead by example and thank everyone for coming together as a family to celebrate the holiday or share another reason why you’re thankful. Sometimes it helps to go around and ask what everyone is thankful for before dinner, but it also helps to thank those around you in an informal setting as well.
Read books with your children about being thankful and discuss them with your children.
Cooking with Children
You can help your child learn to be more thankful for the food they are eating by letting them help you cook. Cooking for Thanksgiving is usually a significant undertaking so getting your child to help by mashing potatoes or stirring cranberry sauce can go a long way.
When children help you cook, they learn the effort that goes into a meal and become more appreciative of it. This also helps them become less picky eaters as they learn what goes into the preparation of their food.
We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving celebrations with your family! Let us know what traditions you celebrate with your family in the comments below.
