10/18/2019 0 Comments Jedno święto-dwa obyczajeKanadyjczycy, a Amerykanie, jaka jest różnica między nimi? Madison powiedziałaby, że ogromna, dla nas jest to bez wątpienia trudne do orzeczenia. Zarówno akcent jak i wygląd - dla nas -podobny. Co więc sprawia, że występuje kontrast? Odpowiedź to: kultura, obyczaje, sposób świętowania…a w szczególności Święta Dziękczynienia. Kanadyjskie obchody tego dnia to przede wszystkim czas spędzony z rodziną, kameralnie: wspólna kolacja, indyk, ciasto dyniowe. A jak u Amerykanów? W zasadzie wszystko w jednym: ogromne parady, czarny piątek, NFL- największa liga futbolu amerykańskiego. Oczywiście menu kolacyjne to indyk, ale z dodatkiem zapiekanki ze słodkich ziemniaków i pianek Prócz tego występuje również rozbieżność w datach - Kanadyjczycy świętują w drugi poniedziałek października, a Amerykanie w czwarty czwartek listopada. Over the past few weeks one question I have regularly been getting is “what is the difference between Canada and America?” My inner Canadian says “everything.” But, when you look at Canada and America from beyond these two countries it is understandable why the boundary can get a little fuzzy. Chances are if you meet someone from Canada or America, you really won’t be able to tell which country they are from. That is of course assuming they don’t have a strong regional accent or they don’t straight up tell you (and most will). Usually we end up assuming they are American. This is a great offence to the Canadian pride as there is nothing more irritating than having to say “no, I am not American.” But we are just as guilty of making this assumption about the fellow foreigners we encounter. Beyond the things that make someone either a Canadian or an American, there are a few clear differences in culture. Thanksgiving is one of these differences. The first difference is the date. Canadian’s celebrate Thanksgiving the second Monday of October and American’s on the fourth Thursday of November. But beyond the obvious, Thanksgiving in Canada is not the huge affair that it is in America. I did not even know the history of Canadian Thanksgiving prior to writing this blog. The history is simple: Martin Frobisher, the English explorer survived a voyage to Baffin Island (Nunavut) in the Arctic. They celebrated and gave their thanks in 1578. To most Canadians the history either completely irrelevant or totally unknown. Thanksgiving is a day to be mindful and thankful for everything and everyone you have in your life. It is an event best spent with family and friends. You usually eat turkey dinner with all the fixings. And you wash it down with pumpkin pie and your choice of beverage. But the menu isn’t a hard and fast rule, its open to interpretation and happily welcomes new traditions. While the theme of gratitude and family in both Canadian and American Thanksgiving is the same, the American Thanksgiving is a huge deal: a national holiday, massive parades, black friday and the NFL. The menu is similar, but they have this strange casserole with sweet potatoes and marshmallows. They are also very intense about the origin story: the feast of the Mayflower pilgrims and the Native Americans. However, as usual, America is not without its controversy. This popular American story and the holiday that came from it has become a subject of debate as it has been charged with being inaccurate and ignorant.
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AuthorMy name is Madison. I am from Alberta, Canada. I like to read books, go hiking and explore new cities. Even though I am Canadian, I don't watch hockey and I don't like snow. I graduated from The University of Lethbridge in 2018 after studying English Literature and Art History for six years. I have travelled to the Mexican state, Nayarit and to Tokyo, Japan. I hope to travel all over the world. Archives
June 2020
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