Thanksgiving 2024: When is Thanksgiving 2024 & 2025?

Below you can find dates of Thanksgiving 2024 and Thanksgiving 2025. In the table you can check how many days you have been on holiday, which week is the holiday and which day of the month.

When is ..? Date Day of the week Week Number Day left
Thanksgiving 2024 November 28, 2024 Thursday 48 254
Thanksgiving 2025 November 27, 2025 Thursday 48 618
Thanksgiving 2026 November 26, 2026 Thursday 48 982
Thanksgiving 2027 November 25, 2027 Thursday 47 1346
Thanksgiving 2028 November 23, 2028 Thursday 47 1710
Thanksgiving 2029 November 22, 2029 Thursday 47 2074
Thanksgiving 2030 November 28, 2030 Thursday 48 2445
Thanksgiving 2031 November 27, 2031 Thursday 48 2809
Thanksgiving 2032 November 25, 2032 Thursday 48 3173
Thanksgiving 2033 November 24, 2033 Thursday 47 3537
Thanksgiving 2034 November 23, 2034 Thursday 47 3901

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was originally a holiday to give thanks to God for the harvest. Today it is an opportunity to give thanks for all the good things God has given us. It is also a day to celebrate family. In the United States Thanksgiving is observed on the fourth Thursday in November. In Canada it occurs on the second Monday of October. The day is widely celebrated throughout the United States and Canada.

The traditional food for the Thanksgiving meal includes a turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, vegetables, and pumpkin pie.

Thanksgiving Background

From ancient times, Native People of North America have held ceremonies to give thanks for successful harvests, for the hope of a good growing season in the early spring, and for other good fortune such as the birth of a child. Giving thanks was, and still is, the primary reason for ceremonies or celebrations.

As with Native traditions in America, celebrations - complete with merrymaking and feasting - in England and throughout Europe after a successful crop are as ancient as the harvest-time itself. In 1621, when their labors were rewarded with a bountiful harvest after a year of sickness and scarcity, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God and celebrated His bounty in the Harvest Home tradition with feasting and sport (recreation). To these people of strong Christian faith, this was not merely a revel; it was also a joyous outpouring of gratitude. The arrival of the Pilgrims and Puritans brought new Thanksgiving traditions to the American scene. Today’s national Thanksgiving celebration is a blend of two traditions: the New England custom of rejoicing after a successful harvest, based on ancient English harvest festivals; and the Puritan Thanksgiving, a solemn religious observance combining prayer and feasting. Florida, Texas, Maine and Virginia each declare itself the site of the First Thanksgiving and historical documents support the various claims. Spanish explorers and other English Colonists celebrated religious services of thanksgiving years before Mayflower arrived. However, few people knew about these events until the 20th century. They were isolated celebrations, forgotten long before the establishment of the American holiday, and they played no role in the evolution of Thanksgiving. But as James W. Baker states in his book, Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday, "despite disagreements over the details" the 3-day event in Plymouth in the fall of 1621 was "the historical birth of the American Thanksgiving holiday."

Thanksgiving Celebrations

The day is a national federal holiday in the United States. Most people have the day off as well as the Friday following, making a long weekend for travel and holiday. The way most people celebrate this day is by getting together with family and having a large meal. Many people travel all over the country for large family gatherings on this day.

Many cities have large parades on Thanksgiving Day. Perhaps the largest and most famous parade is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. It is widely televised and has been running since 1924. Other cities with big parades on this day include Detroit, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

Another popular way to spend the day is watching NFL football. There are generally a number of football games on even though it is Thursday. The Detroit Lions are a traditional team that plays a game nearly every Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving Customs and Traditions

  • Decoration

It is a time to decorate homes with wreaths, fresh and dried flowers. Christmas and New Year eve are not the only holidays when the houses can be decorated.

  • Family Dinner

Everyone follows this custom of family dinners and family reunions. Distances don’t matter. Every family enjoys their favorite ‘roasted turkey’ – a very common dish on a Thanksgiving table. 

  • Praying

It is a time when people thank God for all the blessings and grace. 

  • Sending Messages

Thanksgiving Day is a day when people send loving messages and warm wishes to their relatives, colleagues and friends. 

Thanksgiving Facts

  • The U.S president pardons a turkey every year. Each year, the U.S president will pardon a turkey and spare it from being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. This tradition first started with President Truman in 1947.
  • No forks were used at the first thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving was eaten with spoons and knives – but no forks. That’s right folks, forks weren’t introduced to the Pilgrims until 10 years after the first celebration and weren’t a popular utensil until the 18th century. 
  • Californians consume the most turkey. The Golden State gobble the most turkey in the U.S on Thanksgiving. As the average person consumes between 4000-6000 calories throughout the day, Californians will have to do the most exercise to burn it off!
  • Only 5 women were present at the first thanksgiving. Due to the extremely difficult first year on new soil, many of the women settlers did not survive to celebrate their first Thanksgiving. It is believed only five women were present at the Thanksgiving dinner.
  • Sweet potatoes were Henry VIII’s favorite aphrodisiac. In the 16th century, sweet potatoes were known to “procure bodily lust.” In fact, it was suggested that Henry VIII consumed massive amounts of sweet potatoes, as they were his favorite aphrodisiac.
  • There are four places in the United States named Turkey. Louisiana's Turkey Creek is the most populous, with a whopping 435 residents. There's also Turkey, Texas; Turkey, North Carolina; and Turkey Creek, Arizona. Oh, let's not forget the two townships in Pennsylvania: the creatively named Upper Turkeyfoot and Lower Turkeyfoot! 
  • A woman named Sarah Josepha Hale lobbied Congress for years to make Thanksgiving an official holiday.

If it wasn't for this determined woman, Thanksgiving wouldn't exist today. Hale's allegiance to Thanksgiving began in 1827 and was based in national pride; she hoped to make it “permanently, an American custom and institution.” It wasn't until 1863 that President Lincoln finally declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. Seeing as the President did this in throws of the Civil War, Thanksgiving is considered by some to be an attempt on behalf of the president to bring some peace back to the country. 

  • Originally, Thanksgiving may not have been celebrated in November at all, but rather mid-October. There isn't clear historical information on the actual date of the first Thanksgiving. President Lincoln assigned the holiday to fall on the last Thursday in November, possibly to coincide with the date the Pilgrims first landed the Mayflower in New England.
  • In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the date of Thanksgiving to one week earlier. The late President hoped that a lengthened holiday shopping season would increase spending and alleviate the crippling Depression. This resulted in two consecutive years of conflicting Thanksgiving Day celebrations, as some states refused to recognize the change. 
  • By 1941, FDR gave in and signed a bill making the fourth Thursday in November the official date for Thanksgiving nationwide, regardless of whether it's the last Thursday of the month or not. For years that November starts mid-week, like 2018 when November 1 was a Thursday, this means a holiday that falls much earlier in the month (November 22, to be precise.) So if you're feeling like turkey day snuck up on you this year, now you know why.
  • The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924 featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo. Though the parade stretched just two blocks, New York City went all out for what newspapers were calling "a marathon of mirth." In addition to four bands, a large Santa float, and costumed Macy's employees, also participating in the parade were live animals including bears, elephants, camels, and monkeys from the zoo.
  • Thanksgiving leftovers led to the first ever TV dinner. The influential food corporation Swanson & Sons overestimated how much turkey would be consumed on Thanksgiving and had to get creative with the 260 tons of leftover meat. Behold: prepackaged frozen meals.
  • The menu for the first Thanksgiving dinner in Plymouth—which took place in 1621—likely included lobster, seal, and swans. No, turkey did not RSVP. The friendly feast between Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans lasted for three days, during which both parties contributed to the meal. Though there are few records of the actual menu, it is known that the Pilgrims hunted for local fowl (swans very much included) and the Wampanoag brought five deer.
  • There is a Canadian Thanksgiving, but it’s much different. It’s celebrated in October and falls on a Monday. The celebration isn’t centered around Native Americans and Pilgrims, but shopping instead. Over the centuries, their holiday tradition has changed from crop festivals, to explorations, to battle victories, and finally a general opportunity to give thanks and express gratitude (not unlike the American celebration).
  • The British don’t officially celebrate Thanksgiving, but they do celebrate "Brits-giving." The British increasingly embrace the American tradition to celebrate gratitude and national pride. But it wouldn't be a true British tribute without their own unique take on the holiday. Hence, the origination of "Brits-giving."

Thanksgiving Symbols

Thanksgiving is a particularly American holiday. The word evokes images of football, family reunions, roasted turkey with stuffing, pumpkin pie and the Pilgrims and Wampanoag, the acknowledged founders of the feast.

Considering that you find it insufficient, we have prepared an extensive Thanksgiving list for you. This list contains contents about Thanksgiving.

When is Thanksgiving Day 2019 & 2020? Dates of Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is a United States national holiday celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November. ... The date of US Thanksgiving differs from Thanksgiving Day in Canada, where it is celebrated on the second Monday of October. See also: 2019 calendar showing all US federal.

http://www.calendarpedia.com/when-is/thanksgiving-day.html

Thanksgiving Day 2020 - Calendar-12.com

Thanksgiving Day in 2020 is on Thursday, November 26 (in the United States). Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year.

https://www.calendar-12.com/holidays/thanksgiving/2020

When is Thanksgiving 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024?

What day does Thanksgiving fall on in 2019? When is Thanksgiving 2019? What day is Thanksgiving celebrated on in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/thanksgiving/when-is-thanksgiving.html

Thanksgiving 2019, Thanksgiving 2020 and further

Thanksgiving 2019, Thanksgiving 2020 and further. View here the holidays in the United States in 2019, including Thanksgiving 2019, Thanksgiving 2020 and 2021.

https://www.calendar-365.com/holidays/thanksgiving.html

When is Thanksgiving in 2020? - When-Is.com

Dates of Thanksgiving 2020 from When-Is.com, the world's largest holiday database. ... In the United States, Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth of November.

http://www.when-is.com/thanksgiving-2020.asp

When is Thanksgiving 2019? 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024?

Need to know the exact date of Thanksgiving this year? In the United States, Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/thanksgiving/when_is_thanksgiving.php

Thanksgiving Day 2020 - Calendar Date

Thanksgiving Day 2020 is on Thursday, November 26, a time for Americans to give thanks for the harvest and spend time with family and friends.

https://www.calendardate.com/thanksgiving_2020.htm

Holidays 2020 - Thanksgiving Day (United States - US)

Thanksgiving Day and other holidays celebrated in the United States in 2020.

http://www.kaldix.com/united-states/calendar/holidays/thanksgiving-day/year-2020/

When is Thanksgiving Day 2020 - Countdown Timer Online

How many days until Thanksgiving Day 2020? When is Thanksgiving Day in 2020 - Countdown showing days, hours, minutes and seconds till November 26.

https://vclock.com/timer/thanksgiving-day/2020/

Thanksgiving Day in the United States - Time and Date

Thanksgiving Day in the United States is a holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. The day after ... 2020, Thu, Nov 26, Thanksgiving Day, Federal Holiday.

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/thanksgiving-day

Updated: Oct 29, 2019

Check out the Thanksgiving in the following years.