Thanksgiving, a national holiday in the United States, is celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday of November, bringing families and friends together for a traditional feast. In 2025, Thanksgiving falls on November 27. But how did this annual celebration end up on this specific date? The answer lies in a series of presidential decisions and congressional action spanning more than 150 years.
Origins of Thanksgiving Holiday
The origins of a nationally recognized Thanksgiving date can be traced back to 1789, when President George Washington proclaimed November 26, a Thursday, as a “Day of Public Thanksgiving.”
As per the National Archives, it marked the first Thanksgiving celebrated under the new U.S. Constitution after Congress requested Washington to issue the proclamation.
Thanksgiving later became more standardized when President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving in 1863, helping formalize the tradition during the Civil War era.
The 1939 Shift Around Thanksgiving
A major shift occurred in 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the third Thursday of November. His goal was to extend the holiday shopping season and stimulate the economy, as that year’s last Thursday fell on the final day of the month.
However, this change led to nationwide confusion. Sixteen states refused to comply, continuing to celebrate Thanksgiving on the last Thursday instead. This split observance prompted Congress to step in and settle the matter once and for all.
After debate, Congress passed legislation in 1941 establishing the fourth Thursday of November as the official date for Thanksgiving. Roosevelt signed it into law in December 1941, creating the schedule that remains in place today.
When is Thanksgiving 2025?
For 2025, Thanksgiving will be observed on Thursday, November 27. The day is both a federal and state holiday, which means:
Banks, post offices, and government offices remain closed
Mail delivery is suspended
Many retail stores shut for the day, though some grocery stores and major chains operate with reduced hours
While the day after Thanksgiving is not an official holiday, many workers take leave, creating a four-day weekend that marks the start of the holiday shopping season.
How Americans Celebrate Thanksgiving Today
Modern Thanksgiving is centered around a large family meal, traditionally featuring turkey, a dish believed to have been eaten during the 1621 harvest period. For those who skip turkey, popular alternatives include:
Potatoes
Gravy
Vegetables
Sweet pies
The holiday also features other traditions:
American football games dominate television broadcasts
The US President pardons a turkey, sparing it from becoming dinner
Thanksgiving is followed by Black Friday, when millions of Americans rush to stores for major discounts and early holiday deals.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
