the stentorian | ncssm
features
October 2015 7
How Canada started Thanksgiving
BY Margaux Winter
Staff Writer
On Monday Oct. 12, Canada
celebrated its Thanksgiving
Day. But how did this holiday
oecur? Many Americans
are not aware of Canadian
Thanksgiving and oblivious to
how this holiday came to be.
The holiday originated
similarly to America’s Thanks
giving. Although Americans
tend to focus on the Pilgrims at
Plymouth Rock as the most im
portant immigrants to America
during the late 16th and early
17th centuries, they were cer
tainly not the only new settlers.
In fact, the first Canadian
Thanksgiving was celebrated
43 years before the one at
Plymouth Rock.
Canadian Thanksgiving is
closely tied to the celebrations
of harvest and thanks that
took place in Europe during
the month of October. As
European explorers began to
travel to America, they brought
their holiday with them.
English explorer Martin
Frobisher celebrated the first
Thanksgiving in 1578 at
Nunavut, Canada. Frobisher
is also known for his attempts
to find the Northwest Passage,
and his discoveries of what he
thought to be gold ore.
Unfortunately his 1,350
tons of ore turned out to be
worthless iron pyrite, but at
least he began the tradition
of celebrating the harvest in
America.
Of course, most native
tribes in the Americas had
been celebrating the harvest
for generations. Samuel de
Champlain drew upon the
traditions of the Algonquin
and Huron tribes to establish
a communal “Order of Good
Pumpkins sell for $I each in Boone, N.C. Pumpkins are a common symbol associated with the fall season and popular in the month
of October.
Cheer,” which first took place
on Nov. 14, 1606. The event
was attended by Champlain’s
men, as well as the Sagamore
Memertou, and twenty or thirty
other people of the Algonquin
and Huron tribes.
Similar celebrations fol
lowed for a few centuries, but
the event was not nationally
recognized, nor did it occur at
the same time every year. Dur
ing the American Revolution,
many loyalists moved to Can
ada, and brought with them
the traditions of an American
Thanksgiving.
Certain vegetables, such as
squash and pumpkin, became
a staple for Canadians around
the months of October and No
vember.
Surprisingly, the very
first nationally recognized
Canadian Thanksgiving was
celebrated as a civic holiday on
April 5, 1872 to celebrate the
Prince of Wales’ recovery after
a serious illness.
Starting in 1879, Canadian
Thanksgiving was officially
observed every year, with a
changing date.
Finally, in 1957, the holiday
was declared to take place on
the second Monday in October.
If you are wondering why the
Canadian government made
such a radical decision as
to celebrate thanksgiving in
October instead of November,
just look to the 49th parallel.
Canada is geographically
farther north than the United
States, meaning that its seasons
arrive a few weeks earlier than
ours.
Unlike its American coun
terpart, Canadian Thanksgiv
ing is not considered a promi
nent holiday. The day generally
elicits a three-day weekend,
but is not observed by all Ca
nadians. Canadian Thanks
giving feasts often include
traditional fall vegetables and
fruits, but the American tradi
tion of a roast turkey is not al
ways served.
Some people who observe
the holiday prefer to include
regional dishes and meats,
such as salmon or wild game.
Canadian sports fans may cel
ebrate the day with the Cana
dian Football League’s nation
ally televised doubleheader,
the Thanksgiving Day Classic.
The holiday coincides with
the American observance of
Columbus Day and Indigenous
Peoples’ Day, so many
American towns with high
levels of Canadian tourism
hold one amalgamated fall
festival.
Although you may think
of Canada as a place only
for annual bathtub races and
maple syrup, perhaps you
should give thanks to Canada
this year before you start your
Thanksgiving dinner.
Second trimester slump looms for
juniors and seniors alike
BY Brinda Sarathy
Opinion Editor
It’s cold outside - far colder
than you expected.
You take the tunnel to class,
and yet you shiver in a thick
hoodie and internally curse
the weather, even though you
aren’t outside.
You make plans to go to Joe
Van Gogh’s after classes, only
to rush back while clutching
your coffee because simset is
at 5:00 p.m. nowadays, and
you forgot.
8 a.m. classes are becoming
harder to wake up for, and
suddenly you’ve lost all
motivation to study for that
Physics test.
You go to sleep later
because of the increased
workload, and more often than
not, you lie in bed reflecting on
warm summer memories with
nostalgia and counting down
the days to Mini-Term.
These are the symptoms of
the dreaded “Second Trimester
Slump.”
Most people can’t pin down
one factor that causes “Second
Trimester Slump.”
Many attribute the general
feelings of gloom to the
weather and increased work in
their classes.
When asked what caused
“Second Trimester Slump”
for him, senior JP Rickabaugh
commented, “It sucks because
it’s cold and... full of work.”
Typically during second
trimester, the workload
increases, and many juniors
are suddenly overwhelmed
by the number of hours their
homework takes to complete.
Peers who Chem/Phys (take
both Chemistiy and Physics -
classes known for their large
amount of homework ~ in the
same trimester) feel the effects
of the increased workload as
well.
Senior Curie Shim noted
that she had “Two to three
labs in physics and one lab
in chemistry per week” in
addition to “weekly chemistry
quizzes and nightly physics
homework” during second
trimester of her junior year.
It leads to “very many
late nights”. Shim added
thoughtfully.
However, the workload
and increased expectations of
teachers are only one cause of
“Second Trimester Slump”.
Students often think
“Second Trimester Slump” is
caused by the winter months.
Senior Allison Hopkins
feels that the “lack of being
able to leave campus” contrib
utes to the slump.
Hopkins elaborated, “Sun
set is considerably earlier,
which means it is more dif
ficult to get off campus - es
pecially if you have afternoon
classes - and you can’t stay off
campus as long.”
She commented, “many
students living in BBR find
themselves accidentally not
leaving the building for days
on end.”
Senior Elena Ehrlich
summarized the cause of
Second Trimester Slump as
“the lack of being outside in
general.”
Senior students have varied
advice on how to combat
“Second Trimester Slump” for
juniors.
Senior JP Rickabaugh
advises “Control the weather
and how much work your
teachers give you! Just
kidding. My point is that you
can’t make second trimester
suck any less, but you can try
and balance it with fun.”
Others have a different
outlook on how to view Second
Trimester.
Aceording to senior Chloe
Fang, “the key phrase is a
positive attitude - if you think
second trimester is going to be
rough, it will be even worse.
The less you focus on how bad
it will be, the better off your
perspective of second trimester
will be.”
For juniors, the upcoming
months may be the toughest
period of high school years.
For seniors, the increased
workload and cold weather
are known experiences, but
college applications are an
added ordeal that may make
second trimester difficult yet
again.
Most college application
deadlines for regular decision
applications are on January
1, right in the heart of second
trimester. Luckily, there are
long breaks during November
and December during which
seniors can complete the.se.
Regardless, students will
emerge from “Second Trimes
ter Slump” with the knowledge
that they overcame their ob
stacles and will be able to look
forward to the friendly face of
the third trimester.