About Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the American holiday for giving thanks, kept on the fourth Thursday of November. In 2026 it falls on Thursday, 26 November 2026. Families travel to share a large dinner, usually turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. It is a federal holiday in the United States, and Canada keeps its own Thanksgiving in October.
Thanksgiving is the one big American holiday that is mostly about a meal. There are no presents and no fixed religious service, though many families say grace. The day is a Thursday, so most people take the Friday off too and travel for a four-day weekend, which makes it one of the busiest travel weeks of the year in the US.
What actually happened in 1621
The story taught in American schools starts at Plymouth, in what is now Massachusetts. In the autumn of 1621, after their first harvest, the English colonists who had arrived on the Mayflower held a harvest celebration. Massasoit, a leader of the Wampanoag people, came with about 90 men. The gathering lasted three days. The English shot birds, and the Wampanoag hunted five deer and brought them to the settlement.
That much comes from one surviving letter, by the colonist Edward Winslow. Much of the rest is later invention. The colonists did not call it Thanksgiving; it was closer to an English harvest home. Historians at Plimoth Patuxet, the living history museum at Plymouth, say plainly that nobody knows exactly why the Wampanoag came or what happened over the three days. The picture of a calm, shared feast also leaves out what followed for the Wampanoag: disease, the loss of land, and war within two generations.
How it became a national holiday
- 1789 · WashingtonThe first national proclamation
George Washington named 26 November 1789 as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. Later presidents did not keep it up every year.
- 1863 · LincolnAn annual day
After years of campaigning by Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November a national day of thanks, in the middle of the Civil War.
- 1939 · Roosevelt"Franksgiving"
To give shops a longer season before Christmas during the Depression, Franklin Roosevelt moved the day a week earlier. Thirty-two states followed him and 16 refused, so for two years the country had two Thanksgivings.
- 1941 · CongressThe fourth Thursday
Congress fixed the date by law, and Roosevelt signed it on 26 December 1941. Since 1942 Thanksgiving has been the fourth Thursday of November, never earlier than the 22nd or later than the 28th.
The day itself
The meal is the centre. Roast turkey is standard, with stuffing (called dressing in much of the South), gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and bread rolls, and pumpkin, apple or pecan pie to finish. Regional and family dishes matter as much as the turkey: cornbread dressing and mac and cheese in the South, tamales in many Mexican American homes, and in Indian American homes a tandoori turkey or a full vegetarian spread.
Around the meal, a few things happen in most households:
- The parade. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, with its giant balloons, has run since 1924 and is on television all morning. Philadelphia's parade is older, from 1920.
- Football. The Detroit Lions have played at home on Thanksgiving since 1945 and the Dallas Cowboys since 1966.
- The turkey pardon. Each year the president "pardons" a live turkey at the White House, a light-hearted ceremony.
- Saying thanks. Many families go around the table and each person says what they are grateful for.
- Friendsgiving. A dinner with friends, often on another day that week, for people far from home or who simply want a second one.
The next day, Black Friday, is the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season.
US and Canadian Thanksgiving
| What differs | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Fourth Thursday of November | Second Monday of October |
| Fixed by | Act of Congress, 1941 | Proclamation, 1957 |
| The story told | The Plymouth harvest of 1621 | The harvest, and sometimes Martin Frobisher's service in 1578 |
| Shape of the holiday | Thursday dinner, often a four-day weekend | Long weekend; dinner on Saturday, Sunday or Monday |
| Holiday status | Federal holiday | Statutory holiday in most provinces |
See Canadian Thanksgiving for the October holiday.
If you're in India and your team, family or friends are in the US
Thanksgiving week is a short week in American offices. Expect US colleagues and clients to be offline from Wednesday afternoon until the following Monday, and don't schedule a release or a deadline for that Thursday or Friday. A short "Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy the long weekend" on Wednesday is welcome and normal.
If you're invited to a Thanksgiving dinner in the US, bring something: a pie, a side dish, flowers or a bottle of wine, and ask the host first so you don't duplicate. Vegetarians should mention it early; most hosts are happy to plan around it, and there is always plenty that isn't turkey. Expect a long meal in the afternoon or early evening, and expect to be asked what you're thankful for.
What to write
Happy Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for every one of you, and for the fact that someone else is carving the turkey this year.
Thank you for having me at your table this Thanksgiving. The food was wonderful, and I felt like part of the family all evening.
Happy Thanksgiving. Your family might be far away, but there's a chair at our table if you want it, and leftovers either way.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Thanks for a great year of working together. Enjoy the long weekend; we'll pick up on Monday.
Thank you for everything you've carried this year. Have a proper break this Thanksgiving, and please don't check your email.
Thinking of you this Thanksgiving. If you'd like company, or just a call while you eat, I'm around all day.
I know this Thanksgiving will feel different without him. I'm thinking of you today and grateful I got to know him.
Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias. Gracias por estar siempre a mi lado. (Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for always being by my side.)
Do
- Thank someone for something real. A specific line beats a list of blessings.
- Ask about food before you cook for or invite someone; many people are vegetarian, kosher, halal or simply picky.
- Remember that for some Native Americans the day is one of mourning, and leave space for that.
Avoid
- Don't send a "Happy Turkey Day" cartoon to a client or a senior colleague; keep that for friends.
- Don't use Pilgrims-and-Indians costumes or "headdress" imagery on cards. Many Native people find it offensive.
- Don't ask a grieving friend what they're thankful for this year.
How to wish someone on Thanksgiving
A Thanksgiving message works best when it thanks someone for something specific: a year of help, a seat at their table, a call when it mattered. Keep it warm and plain; it can be religious or not. For a host, thank them for the meal and the welcome. For someone alone, grieving or far from family, say you're thinking of them rather than wishing them a big celebration.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English (US) + Spanish.
When is Thanksgiving in 2026 and 2027?
Thanksgiving falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 1 day earlier than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is Thanksgiving in 2026?
Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, 26 November 2026.
Why is Thanksgiving always on a Thursday?
Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday because presidents from Lincoln onwards proclaimed Thursdays, following the habit of earlier New England thanksgiving days. A 1941 law fixed it as the fourth Thursday of November, so it always falls between 22 and 28 November.
Was the first Thanksgiving in 1621?
The 1621 harvest celebration at Plymouth, attended by Massasoit and about 90 Wampanoag men, is the event Americans usually call the first Thanksgiving. The colonists didn't call it that, and earlier thanksgiving services were held in Virginia and elsewhere, so historians treat the label as a later tradition.
What is the difference between US and Canadian Thanksgiving?
US Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November and is tied to the story of the Plymouth colonists. Canadian Thanksgiving is on the second Monday of October, earlier because the harvest ends earlier in the north, and is usually a long-weekend family dinner.
What do you say on Thanksgiving?
"Happy Thanksgiving" is the standard greeting, for anyone. In a message, thank the person for something specific from the year. For a host, thank them for the meal and the welcome; for someone grieving or alone, say you're thinking of them.
What should I bring to a Thanksgiving dinner as a guest?
Ask the host, then bring a dish they need, a pie, flowers or a bottle of wine. If you're vegetarian or have a food restriction, tell the host early and offer to bring a dish you can eat that everyone can share.
Why do some Native Americans observe a Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving?
Since 1970, United American Indians of New England have held a National Day of Mourning at Plymouth on Thanksgiving Day. It remembers the Native people who died from disease, war and the loss of their land after the colonists arrived, and protests how the holiday's story is told.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .