Thanksgiving in Canada is always in the beginning of October and it always catches me by surprise. Usually the leaves reaching their peak colour are my visual cue, but this year for some reason, maybe the wet summer and late in the season hot/dry spell, the leaves are mostly still greenish with shades of brown and red spattered in. All this to say, I’m not ready, as usual.
The interesting thing about living in Québec is that Thanksgiving is not really a holiday that the Québécois celebrate. I remember teaching English as a second language one year at this time and, by way of making conversation, I asked my adult students how they were planning on celebrating the holiday. One of them said they were going to wash their windows and another that they would be getting their firewood in. “But…what will you be eating?” I persisted.
“The usual,” was my answer. They even looked a little quizzical that I would be asking such a question. I was a bit dumbfounded. I have been living in this province many, many years and I had no idea my neighbours weren’t celebrating in the same ways we were.
I guess it’s time to muster the Thanksgiving spirit and do a little decorating, bake a pie, buy a turkey…
I thought I would start by buying a pumpkin since we don’t grow them ourselves. I’m really not sure about these green, warty ones. I chose the one in the foreground with the stem. I really like that classic pumpkin look. While I was here at the wholesalers, I also picked up a few apples in case I decide to make a head start on the pie.
I bought honey crisp for eating and a few cortlands to make the pie. I don’t eat apples at any other time of the year because I only like them when they are at their ripest best.
Now for the turkey. Time to call Farm to Table and hope I’m not too late.
Or I could just be like my Québécoise friend and wash my windows instead.
Pebbles and Clay 