Fall in Canada: Decorating, Dressing, and Giving Thanks

September and October in Canada are all about the arrival of fall🍁. One of the things that amazes me the most here is how stunning the season is. It’s truly a show put on by nature. Everywhere you look, you see, live, and feel the ochre and orange tones of fall, along with its cozy flavors (yes, I’ll tell you more about those in a bit).

📢It’s time to decorate, switch up your wardrobe, and, of course, celebrate🎉🥂.

How to decorate?

Stores overflow with fall-themed items this time of year. And just in case you didn’t know, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October. Much like Christmas, many families decorate their homes in preparation for the holiday.

What can’t be missing from your fall decor?

Pumpkins, pinecones, burlap, dry leaves (specially our beloved red maple leaf🍁), acorns, and, above all, shades of orange and brown!

✨ Pro tip #1: Don’t wait too long to shop…decorations sell out unbelievably fast.

✨ Pro tip #2: Don’t mix fall decorations with Halloween (I’ll tell you all about Halloween in my next post).

Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving in October?

The holiday has roots in the Protestant Christian tradition as a way to thank God for abundant harvests. It also connects to the Pilgrims’ first harvest celebrations. Over time, Thanksgiving became a family gathering focused on gratitude.

Because Canada has a colder climate, harvest season ends earlier, so we celebrate on the second Monday of October. It’s a statutory holiday, and families and friends typically share a big meal, either on the Monday itself or the Sunday before.

What’s the traditional Canadian menu?

🍗🥧🥔Turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie or pumpkin soup are must-haves. In Quebec, tourtière (meat pie) is also very popular. But don’t feel limited…the options are endless, and dishes with corn, sweet potato, and apple are also classics. Coffee shops and bakeries go all in with pumpkin spice flavors, and even fast food and restaurants offer special Thanksgiving menus.

✨ Pro tip #3: Don’t leave grocery shopping for the Thanksgiving weekend itself… you’ll thank me later.😉

How to dress?

This is always interesting. In early fall, mornings and evenings feel chilly, but afternoons can be as warm as summer. The rule is simple: layer up! By mid-to-late fall, the weather turns rainy and cold, and you’ll see people in warmer jackets🧥, scarves🧣, and boots.👢

How to celebrate if you’re new to Canada?

It’s a personal and family decision. Thanksgiving is an important Canadian tradition, and as immigrants, we should respect it and, if you choose, adopt it.

I remember our very first Thanksgiving in Canada. We had just arrived a month earlier. Back home, there were no Pilgrims, and harvest happened year-round in our tropical climate. It was a brand-new tradition for us… something we had only seen in movies. Still, we had so much to thank God for during that first month, so we celebrated, not with turkey and potatoes, but with a dish from our home country😄. The point was to celebrate and give thanks! 🙏. By our second year, my kids, now more adapted to Canadian life, demanded turkey at the table😅. Even so, some years, our traditional dish still sneaks its way into our Thanksgiving dinner.

What to Do in Fall?

Dress for the Weather and Enjoy!🍂

If you love nature, this is the most beautiful season to go for a walk on the trails, visit parks, and let your kids jump into piles of dry leaves. You can also go apple picking, visit pumpkin farms, explore fall harvest markets, and much more. Of course, there’s a not-so-fun side to all those fallen leaves: if you live in a house (like me) it’s up to you to rake them! 🤭 Yep, that means buying those big brown paper bags they sell at grocery and hardware stores, and getting down to leaf collecting. 🍁

My recommendation: Enjoy the beauty of the season, embrace the culture, and above all, take the chance to give thanks,  not only for what you already have, but also for what you’re still praying for 🙏. 

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Good luck, and God bless you! 💗

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📸 Photo by Freepik