If you're already well-acquainted with the ways of Montreal, then you know we do things a little differently here, at least compared to the rest of North America. Thanksgiving is one of those things. Even though every second Monday of October is technically a statutory holiday -- in 2011, Thanksgiving in Montreal and all of Canada is on October 10, in 2012, it's on October 8 -- do we actually celebrate Thanksgiving, or action de grâce, in Montreal?
The afternoon of October 7, 2009, I overheard two teen girls chatting in French at a Monkland Avenue bus stop, days before the upcoming holiday weekend. Their exchange was rather telling:
- "You celebrating Thanksgiving?"
- "No, you?"
- "Nope. Who does?"
- "Dunno. I don't even like turkey."
So ... Is That a No?
If you define the holiday by turkey and family, well, I personally had my first holiday "roast turkey-style" dinner with friends at the age of 19. And that was Christmas. But if you define Thanksgiving as more of an extended weekend with a smidgen of family (or the equivalent) intent on a day of food consumption more likely to involve smoked mackerel than a whole turkey with yams, then yes, we do celebrate Thanksgiving in Montreal. But really, there's no rule nor standard tradition to the season in this city. Some of us do go all out and do the roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and peas thing, some of us don't. It really depends who you ask.
Regardless of what's served on Thanksgiving, Montrealers do share one thing in common: we love to eat. Well. Really well. And farmer's markets are among our favorite places to stock up for a big dinner with family and/or friends.
