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Six reasons why celebrating American Thanksgiving is even better in Canada

This turkey would much rather be in Canada this weekend, that's for sure. (Getty Images)
This turkey would much rather be in Canada this weekend, that's for sure. (Getty Images)

For envious Canadians or Americans stuck up here in the frozen North, the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday can seem, from the outside looking in, like a bit of a dream come true. To get the same four-day long weekend many Americans enjoy you’d have to use up a vacation day (or two). Even Canadian Thanksgiving isn’t an official holiday in Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and Newfoundland & Labrador.

But fear not: you can still enjoy yourself celebrating a second Thanksgiving this year. In fact, I dare you to go out and have even more fun enjoying American Thanksgiving in Canada than at your own traditional family get-together.

Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 22, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. (Getty)
Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 22, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. (Getty)

Watch all the football! (Or Thanksgiving movies! Yes, that’s a thing!)

Not only do you get your weekend of CFL games in October, now you get a blast of three games back to back (plus the Grey Cup is this weekend in Winnipeg, if you need a fourth game to watch). Set up the DVR if you don’t have the day off and you can spend two whole regular weekend days sitting on the couch catching up on the action while getting your fill of turkey and stuffing.

The Spiderman balloon passes by during the 88th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Getty)
The Spiderman balloon passes by during the 88th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Getty)

Check out the parades.

If you are lucky enough to have the day off, you can tune in to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

If you can’t watch the department store march on TV, don’t fret; plenty of cities around Canada will be hosting their annual Santa Claus parades this weekend, so you can fill up on food and bundle up to stand around in the cold like a genuine New Yorker!

(Thinkstock)
(Thinkstock)

Invite the folks you love, leave out everyone else.

No annoying Aunt Matilda or your brother’s screaming kids, or that random dude who no one really wants to be there but just won’t un-invite. You can spend your weekend home alone completely naked, or invite your favourite people over and host a harvest-themed leftover potluck.

It's a crime that Sweet Potato Casserole topped with marshmallows hasn't caught on here. (Todd Coleman)
It's a crime that Sweet Potato Casserole topped with marshmallows hasn't caught on here. (Todd Coleman)

Eat all the foods you didn’t get at home.

Sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, corn bread muffins, ambrosia salad, deep fried turducken with oyster stuffing? America’s Thanksgiving traditions are varied and while the meat, veg and potatoes tend to form the foundation, there are a dozen different regional dishes you can add into the mix to spice things up. Go. All. Out.

With a little creativity, you can make your own frozen dinners. (Martha Stewart Living)
With a little creativity, you can make your own frozen dinners. (Martha Stewart Living)

Keep a freezer full of leftovers from November until January.

Perhaps the best thing about big holiday meals is their potential for homemade frozen dinners. Make 5 times (okay, ten times) as much food as you’ll need for the big meal. Throw a spoonful of everything but the cran sauce into pie plates, cover with tinfoil, and pack them up into the freezer for all your future sessions of the aforementioned couch-and-TV dinner marathons.

Shoppers wrestle over a television as they compete to purchase retail items on 'Black Friday.' (Reuters)
Shoppers wrestle over a television as they compete to purchase retail items on 'Black Friday.' (Reuters)

You still get all the deals and you don’t even need to cross the border.

Black Friday has really started to catch on in Canada in recent years, so you can still go out and get deals, fighting the crowds to get the best before it disappears. These days, however, you can also enjoy Black Friday sales without even leaving your hometown. Buy all the gadgets, visit all the malls, and don’t spend one second worrying about the exchange rate or how you’re going to get all that stuff through customs.

Bonus: Cyber Monday will round out the Thanksgiving holiday long weekend, so you can jump on all those great deals and never even leave the comfort of your pyjamas.