On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament announced that on the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving would be “a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”
For some of us, Thanksgiving is a big celebration with friends, family, and the traditional turkey dinner. For others, it’s a time of reflection or just another holiday to enjoy in our own way. Whichever way we spend it, we have all been out and seen the beautiful colors that Nature provides at this time of year.
All the images in these collages are representative of what I think of when Thanksgiving comes to mind. I had fun photographing all of them. The above collage represents the spirit of gratitude that is necessary in our hearts for there to be thanksgiving. My friend and I were having lunch together one day. After she had eaten, she took out the few vegetables she had just bought to take home – and spread them on the table. She put her hands just as you see them and said they were beautiful. I immediately took out my camera and took this photo. She was expressing her gratitude for the bounty of the earth. It wasn’t a formal prayer but an appreciation of what was right before her eyes.
These images brought to mind James Whitcomb’s poem “When the Frost is on the Punkin” (one verse only). I took these photos in my own local shopping area and my back garden. There were many pumpkins and gourds for sale although none are visible here. Enjoy!
Although it’s Thanksgiving, I’m sharing this collage that shows some of the kinds of people who make up the cultural mosaic of Canada. During the summer months, many street fairs and parties take place in Toronto. There’s everything from Taste of the Danforth to Taste of Thailand and it is possible to taste food from many different countries without visiting those places. There are also dances and ethnic wear that add to these wonderful happenings. It makes me think that many different kinds of food as well as traditional turkey can be found at many Thanksgiving celebrations. Isn’t that a marvelous thing?
Rum cake (Black Cake)
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A rum cake is a type of dessert cake which contains rum. In most of the Caribbean, rum cakes are a traditional holiday season dessert, descended from the holiday puddings introduced by English settlers.
Black cake is made for weddings and usually for Christmas. Dried fruit, such as raisins, currants, prunes, cherries, and mixed peel, are put in a bottle and soaked with rum or wine. It is left for several weeks or months depending on how long you want the fruit to be set for. When it ‘s time to bake your cake, this mixture is added to the batter, and that’s basically how you make a black cake. For weddings, almond paste and royal icing is used to decorate the cake. It is very delicious!
Hope you enjoyed all the collages and the tidbits and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!