How to Spend Thanksgiving in Montreal if You're Far From Home
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, many Montrealers are planning their escapes for the long weekend ahead with family and friends. Thanksgiving is a time best spent with those you care about (preferably around a table full of mouth-watering, nap-inducing food), but if you’ve found yourself far away from the people you would normally celebrate with (or if the entire holiday is a new concept to you), fear not: we’ve got you covered.
For many people, Thanksgiving is all about the food and the company—the specific details are less important. But if the traditional experience is what you’re after, you’ll find a number of activities happening over the next few days that will certainly get you into the spirit. Or (if you’re feeling ambitious), plan your own Thanksgiving feast and watch your popularity spike in your friend group.
Here are a few suggestions for how to spend the coming weekend. And remember: while there’s certainly no wrong way to do Thanksgiving, here at E-QIP, we firmly believe that the “right” way involves pie (and lots of it).
Leaf spotting
Quebec is stunning in autumn, and it’s around this time that the changing leaves are usually approaching their most vivid. You’ll find stunning views around the city—especially on the older, leafy streets of the Plateau and Mile End or from atop Mont Royal. If you have access to a car, get yourself to Mont Tremblant (less than a two hour drive northwest) and ride to the top on the panoramic gondola. For $19.80 you’ll get to witness one of the best fall scenes you’ll ever see.
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Head to the market
There’s no better way to get a feel for what people are eating in October in Quebec than by heading to your local farmer’s market. We suggest Jean Talon if you haven’t already been, where you’ll find rows upon rows of vendors selling fresh seasonal produce as well as other Thanksgiving-friendly offerings like meat, dairy, baked goods and (of course) maple products galore. If Jean Talon is old hat to you by now, check out the homepage of Montreal’s public markets—all of which will be open on Thanksgiving!
Pick your own pumpkin
October is the month when pumpkin reigns supreme, whether it be in the form of lattes, pies, soups or jack-o-lanterns. The long weekend is the perfect time to get started on your carving for Halloween and you can make a day of it by pulling a Charlie Brown and visiting one of the many pumpkin patches near Montreal.
DIY Thanksgiving
The traditional trappings of the holiday—the turkey and all that goes with it—are not the reality for many Canadians. It’s hard to pinpoint an across-the-board “authentic Canadian” Thanksgiving meal as the standard. But if time-honoured tradition is what you’re after, there are a number of guides online that offer suggestions for planning an “authentic Canadian Thanksgiving menu.” Turkey is the standard main dish (or a plant-based option, if your diet doesn’t allow for the former), usually served with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and roast vegetables. For some people, it’s not Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce, while others are more concerned with dessert: usually pie (maybe pumpkin or apple), perhaps with a nice mug of hot apple cider (brandy optional, but highly recommended).
The best way to tackle Thanksgiving with a group of friends (especially if it’s your first one) is to make it a potluck; assign various dishes to attendees, or get them to volunteer their own specialties. A proper Thanksgiving weekend isn’t complete without raking up the leaves that have accumulated outside your home and packing them into paper bags to be collected (or jump into, depending on your maturity level). Another great use for all of those friends you’ve gathered!
Many would say that Thanksgiving—called action de grâce in French in Quebec—is not as beloved in this province as it is elsewhere in the country (and certainly not as popular as the American version is with our neighbours south of the border). But rather than detracting from the holiday, this allows newcomers to mold the weekend to fit their own preferences without pressure. Not a fan of turkey? Skip it! Prefer the food you’re used to cooking at home and want to avoid the “traditional” fare altogether? Have at it! Good food and togetherness are what it’s all about, and that’s surely a concept that transcends cultures.
