Americans and Canadians culture Q&A Thread.

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It bothers me that it’s becoming known as Canadian Thanksgiving, as if the US one is the proper one and we just decided to be different. Most people should be able to figure out what Thanksgiving is being discussed based on dates being discussed.

This is in no way directed at you, you’re just the one who posted it.

TIL that Thanksgiving is also celebrated in Grenada, St. Lucia, Liberia, Brazil, in the Netherlands, Rwanda, on and off in the Philippines, even a place in Australia, etc. Some are official holidays with set "this is when it is celebrated" and others it's certain populations that celebrate it.

If I had to guess each of these countries those who celebrate it probably consider their Thanksgiving to just be Thanksgiving. But when talking to other people it might help for context reasons to place a moniker in front of it. I don't think many people are aware of the countries listed above and the days they celebrate it. Had no clue that in Grenada their Thanksgiving is on October 25th or that in Liberia it's the first Thursday in November or in Rwanda it's the first Friday in August.

If you're in Canada and it's being called Canadian Thanksgiving well I totally get why you're bothered but if it's just coming up in conversation with people not in Canada to me it's just understandable. If someone from St. Lucia asks me about American Thanksgiving calling it such I'm cool with it. If Thanksgiving gets brought up and in my lack of knowledge I have no clue they also celebrate it well then it's a neat time for a discussion on it

 

[prairie_girl]

TIL that Thanksgiving is also celebrated in Grenada, St. Lucia, Liberia, Brazil, in the Netherlands, Rwanda, on and off in the Philippines, even a place in Australia, etc. Some are official holidays with set "this is when it is celebrated" and others it's certain populations that celebrate it.

If I had to guess each of these countries those who celebrate it probably consider their Thanksgiving to just be Thanksgiving. But when talking to other people it might help for context reasons to place a moniker in front of it. I don't think many people are aware of the countries listed above and the days they celebrate it. Had no clue that in Grenada their Thanksgiving is on October 25th or that in Liberia it's the first Thursday in November or in Rwanda it's the first Friday in August.

If you're in Canada and it's being called Canadian Thanksgiving well I totally get why you're bothered but if it's just coming up in conversation with people not in Canada to me it's just understandable. If someone from St. Lucia asks me about American Thanksgiving calling it such I'm cool with it. If Thanksgiving gets brought up and in my lack of knowledge I have no clue they also celebrate it well then it's a neat time for a discussion on it

Ok, so let’s decide to keep it straight for the whole world (and us ‘international’ people here on the dis) that when American Thanksgiving is discussed ad nauseum, we should all refer to it as American Thanksgiving. Cool?

ETA- I just googled and found that Canada had its first Thanksgiving in 1578…a whole 43 years before Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. So, maybe Canadian Thanksgiving should be the standard for North America, and yours can be American Thanksgiving.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Ok, so let’s decide to keep it straight for the whole world (and us ‘international’ people here on the dis) that when American Thanksgiving is discussed ad nauseum, we should all refer to it as American Thanksgiving. Cool?

If I'm talking about the day here in the U.S. I'll likely say Thanksgiving (which was my point that those in their country probably just call it Thanksgiving) but don't mind one bit if you refer to it as American Thanksgiving to me. I assume if you're talking about the day in Canada you'll refer to it as Thanksgiving but I guess it would bother you to have it referred to as Canadian Thanksgiving (I'd probably just say Thanksgiving in Canada personally). As an American I don't really have an issue at all with you referring to it as American Thanksgiving so by all means go for it (though I don't speak for all Americans).

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Ok, so let’s decide to keep it straight for the whole world (and us ‘international’ people here on the dis) that when American Thanksgiving is discussed ad nauseum, we should all refer to it as American Thanksgiving. Cool?

ETA- I just googled and found that Canada had its first Thanksgiving in 1578…a whole 43 years before Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. So, maybe Canadian Thanksgiving should be the standard for North America, and yours can be American Thanksgiving.

As an American, that wouldn't bother me in the least. I can't imagine getting upset over something like that.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

ETA- I just googled and found that Canada had its first Thanksgiving in 1578…a whole 43 years before Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. So, maybe Canadian Thanksgiving should be the standard for North America, and yours can be American Thanksgiving.

I detect snark and honestly I'm not sure why it has to be such a big thing.

I'm sorry it bothers you, I'm sure if people know they can be more careful in calling it that but I understand on a practical level why people would (which goes for well beyond the U.S.). I don't think people are trying to diminish Canada's celebration of Thanksgiving at all.

 

[bcla]

I usually just say, "I'm busy this weekend. It's our Thanksgiving," and leave it at that. I also hate the whole, "We are celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving," thing, but sometimes it has to be said or people don't put two and two together.

We have a turkey farm near us, and people put their orders in super early when they want to ensure they get a fresh turkey. I went in about a week before Thanksgiving and began saying to the person at the counter, "I would like to see about getting a turkey for our Thanksgiving..." The person was all set to jump in and tell me about availability for American Thanksgiving before I was even able to clarify the date, and I was like, "No. I need it for our Canadian (groan!) Thanksgiving next weekend, to which he replied, "Oh. That won't be a problem then."

A couple of days ago I was kind of stuck on the road because there was a rather large turkey. Now I suppose I could have just run it over and then claim it, although I'm thinking it's not legal to keep roadkill.

It was kind of hilarious though. People were slowing down just in case it might have run out. I was honking my horn trying to get it to move to the sidewalk. There were people on the sidewalk just laughing at how surreal it all was. The driver behind certainly wasn't pushing me to either run it over or risk a head-on collision with another car.

They're also not native to California. Apparently they're the Rio Grande subspecies that were imported from Texas for hunting.

 

[declansdad]

How about we just say Thanksgiving, no matter what country we're talking about.

Geez folks, this is supposed to be a fun thread.

 

[tvguy]

A couple of days ago I was kind of stuck on the road because there was a rather large turkey. Now I suppose I could have just run it over and then claim it, although I'm thinking it's not legal to keep roadkill.

Come January 1 in California keeping roadkill will be legal. And my area is over run with wild turkeys.

 

[ronandannette]

Come January 1 in California keeping roadkill will be legal. And my area is over run with wild turkeys.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

 

[bcla]

Come January 1 in California keeping roadkill will be legal. And my area is over run with wild turkeys.

That piqued my curiosity. Apparently it won't include birds, and they have until Jan 1 to establish the pilot program to issue permits for specific designated regions. And it would be illegal to stop on a freeway to get roadkill.

https://www.mtshastanews.com/story/...l-yet-collect-roadkill-california/4857350001/
https://sf.eater.com/2019/10/18/20915751/california-roadkill-law-passed-eat-kill-salvage

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That piqued my curiosity. Apparently it won't include birds, and they have until Jan 1 to establish the pilot program to issue permits for specific designated regions. And it would be illegal to stop on a freeway to get roadkill.

https://www.mtshastanews.com/story/...l-yet-collect-roadkill-california/4857350001/
https://sf.eater.com/2019/10/18/20915751/california-roadkill-law-passed-eat-kill-salvage

When I've watched shows like North Woods Law or other ones there's usually a lot that goes into the ability to keep roadkill. I think people read it like you hit something you can just take it but from what I saw in those shows Game Wardens often showed up and gave you permission or you'd call it in so it could be logged.

Sounds like from what your stories are it's similar that it's not a free for all hit something take it. Granted North Woods Law is more Maine/New Hampshire area where woods and hunting is much much higher so the need for strict guidelines is high (so you're not just hunting something illegally and claiming it as a collision or just saw on the side of the road) but still. The reasoning given (don't want wastage of meat) is pretty similar to places that have it set up for it to be legal. I'd imagine for conservation efforts it's pretty important to still track who is taking what.

 

[tvguy]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

It's legal in Alberta too.

 

[bcla]

When I've watched shows like North Woods Law or other ones there's usually a lot that goes into the ability to keep roadkill. I think people read it like you hit something you can just take it but from what I saw in those shows Game Wardens often showed up and gave you permission or you'd call it in so it could be logged.

Sounds like from what your stories are it's similar that it's not a free for all hit something take it. Granted North Woods Law is more Maine/New Hampshire area where woods and hunting is much much higher so the need for strict guidelines is high (so you're not just hunting something illegally and claiming it as a collision or just saw on the side of the road) but still. The reasoning given (don't want wastage of meat) is pretty similar to places that have it set up for it to be legal. I'd imagine for conservation efforts it's pretty important to still track who is taking what.

It's going to require some sort of after the fact permit in California. I suspect they're not necessarily going to allow it in heavily populated areas.

It sounds a lot like legal requirements when someone takes an animal in self defense. I think in Alaska they require the skull and pelt be skinned and presented to a state trooper. That's going to be nasty if it's a 600 lb grizzly bear.

I do remember a cartoon panel from Mad Magazine - might have been Sergio Aragones in the margins. It showed a guy explaining (via thought bubble) that he shot a huge deer to one of his buddies, and its head is mounted in his living room. His wife is explaining to her friend (via a different thought bubble) that he just ran over it and just claimed it when it was stuck on their hood and a game warden saw it.

 

[ronandannette]

It's legal in Alberta too.

Yet I've never in my entire life heard of anyone doing it. And this from a person who's bagged my share of deer on the highways on dark winter nights. I haven't hit one for several years - hope I didn't just jinx myself. I couldn't count the number of gophers and squirrels I've squashed right here in the city just this summer alone though.

 

[tvguy]

Yet I've never in my entire life heard of anyone doing it. And this from a person who's bagged my share of deer on the highways on dark winter nights. I haven't hit one for several years - hope I didn't just jinx myself. I couldn't count the number of gophers and squirrels I've squashed right here in the city just this summer alone though.

My cousin hit and killed a Moose coming back to Calgary from Saskatoon. If it hadn't totaled his Buick, I suspect he would have put it in the trunk and brought it home.
Funny about the gophers. My Uncle in Saskatoon got mad at me for slowing for a gopher crossing the road. When he was a kid in the 1930's the Provencal government paid 10 cents a pelt for gophers since they ate the wheat crop.

 

[prairie_girl]

If I'm talking about the day here in the U.S. I'll likely say Thanksgiving (which was my point that those in their country probably just call it Thanksgiving) but don't mind one bit if you refer to it as American Thanksgiving to me. I assume if you're talking about the day in Canada you'll refer to it as Thanksgiving but I guess it would bother you to have it referred to as Canadian Thanksgiving (I'd probably just say Thanksgiving in Canada personally). As an American I don't really have an issue at all with you referring to it as American Thanksgiving so by all means go for it (though I don't speak for all Americans).

Sorry if I was unclear. No one I know refers to our Thanksgiving as Canadian Thanksgiving because that would be weird lol

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Sorry if I was unclear. No one I know refers to our Thanksgiving as Canadian Thanksgiving because that would be weird lol

Well I figured as such and is what I assume we all do (just calling it Thanksgiving). But the only time it may come up calling it something else is when talking to people from other countries.

To me it's not an insult or a presumption one is better than another, just a way to let people know it being talked about. I realize you might have thought if would rub the wrong way to refer to it as American Thanksgiving but truly doesn't bother me and I'm with tarheel it's not something I'd imagine getting upset or irritated over.

I think we've found a topic that Americans are more blase about than Canadians

 

[ronandannette]

My cousin hit and killed a Moose coming back to Calgary from Saskatoon. If it hadn't totaled his Buick, I suspect he would have put it in the trunk and brought it home.
Funny about the gophers. My Uncle in Saskatoon got mad at me for slowing for a gopher crossing the road. When he was a kid in the 1930's the Provencal government paid 10 cents a pelt for gophers since they ate the wheat crop.

Dear Lord, why, TV Guy? To donate to the zoo for feed? Any animal killed by massive blunt force and not bled properly would not be fit for human consumption. The idea is really, really repulsive.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Dear Lord, why, TV Guy? To donate to the zoo for feed? Any animal killed by massive blunt force and not bled properly would not be fit for human consumption. The idea is really, really repulsive.

Where I am, if an animal like a deer is hit and killed, they often take it and donate it to a homeless shelter (or somewhere like it, to benefit the community) where they prepare it. I think people can take them, too, but not sure how many do. DH has told me he’s seen people fighting over them on the highway, though. It may depend where you are and/or where you are from - city, suburbia, rural, etc. I remember my neighbor growing up always had one hanging upside down during hunting season - I suppose that’s what you mean. (I used to cry at the sight of it.) Couldn’t they do that regardless of the manner of death? At any rate, us city folk may not even know the difference between some of these animals. There was a funny story of my elderly aunt and mother ooh‘ing and ahh’ing out their vacation place window in NH at a moose looking in. Later they told the staff they’d seen a horse outside their window that morning.

I’ve come close a few times, but I’ve never hit a deer, thankfully. (It upsets me if I even hit a squirrel!) Once when we were on vacation in NH, DS got sick during the night and I was going to take him to the major medical center up there, which was about an hour away, but the front desk staff strongly advised me against it because they said “there were moose all over the back roads at night” so we stayed local instead. We have deer, but not moose. And no bears, really. We do have a ton of wild turkeys, many right in my own yard and sometimes up on my roof. I understand they don’t taste as good as domestic turkeys - that opinion came from a somewhat rural friend of mine who got one “with an F150”!

 

[CdnCarrie]

Yet I've never in my entire life heard of anyone doing it. And this from a person who's bagged my share of deer on the highways on dark winter nights. I haven't hit one for several years - hope I didn't just jinx myself. I couldn't count the number of gophers and squirrels I've squashed right here in the city just this summer alone though.

I’ve driven for 30 years amd have never hit a gopher or a squirrel. How are you hitting multiples a year?