Happy Thanksgiving (Canadian)!

Yes, tis time for yet another Canadian thanksgiving, where we give thanks for what?  Well, for not celebrating Columbus so directly given his role in ... genocide, I guess.  Instead, we can just give thanks, sans pilgrims, for all that is wonderful about Canada.  Otherwise, what is the difference between Canadian and US Thanksgiving?

h/t to Max Fisher for this video

Yep, it is earlier.  That's about it, as far as I can tell.  Oh, and since it is only a three day weekend, there is far less travel.  Canadians marvel at how far Americans will travel to have some turkey and argue over pie.  I don't know if Canadians are less mobile in their lives than Americans, but it does not seem to be the case that this holiday serves to bring together families that are stretched out.

Nor does it appear, in my ten years of close observation and analysis, to be part of that Great American Compromise: splitting Thanksgiving and the Winter Break (Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, whatever) holidays between the two sets of in-laws.  For instance, my family spends almost every (American) Thanksgiving with the Saideman clan (our slogan happens to be: if it is not repeatedly argued, its crap!) and nearly every Christmas with my wife's wifi-less family (the slogan seems to be: what is it with all the folks spending time staring at computer screens). 

As ex-pats living in Canada, we get an extra Thanksgiving each year.  Right now, I am giving thanks for how wonderful Teen Spew has become as a travel partner, given that we just finished our third college tour.  This one was in and near the City of Angels, and we had a delightful time with very little traffic, heaps of wonderfully complex highways, great food (not all of it was Mexican), one fun drive along Mulholland Drive, and many friendly folks along the way.  The irony is that although we have much to be thankful for this year (have you seen the new book cover?), our return via redeye flight combined with sick wife/mom we left behind means that we may be having pizza on thisThanksgiving.

Anyhow, to you and yours, have a very happy Canadian Thanksgiving (which means patiently waiting in line).