Thanksgiving date: When is Thanksgiving 2025: Date, history, and traditions of the 400-year-old holiday on November 27
Thanksgiving 2025 was confirmed on Thursday, November 27. The exact date of the first Thanksgiving is unknown, but History.com says it began in 1621 when colonists shared meals with the Wampanoag people. The first Federal Congress asked George Washington to choose a Thanksgiving Day, and he named Thursday, November 26, 1789, “Public Thanksgiving,” reports the Statesmanjournal.
Thanksgiving 2025 date and traditions
Thanksgiving is a famous American holiday that doesn’t need major publicity because people know it as a day to eat turkey, watch football, and give thanks. As Mint notes, the holiday is more than just food and parades, as it has a long history dating back 400 years. Thanksgiving began as a harvest festival meant to give thanks for food and survival.
Today, the meaning has changed and essentially consists of gathering with family, friends and neighbors for a common meal. Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, which means the date changes each year. In 2025, Thanksgiving will fall on Thursday, November 27. Black Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season in the United States, arrives the next day.
thanksgiving history
The origins of Thanksgiving are often linked to the Pilgrims’ 1621 harvest celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts. By the late 1600s, many New England communities were holding regular thanksgiving days. George Washington declared a national Thanksgiving Day in 1789 after Congress asked him to designate the day. Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving an official national holiday in 1863.
Thanksgiving around the world
The date of Thanksgiving may be early or late, as early as November 22nd or as late as November 28th, depending on the calendar. According to Mint’s report, the next early Thanksgiving will be in 2029. The next late Thanksgiving will be in 2030. Different countries also celebrate their own versions of Thanksgiving, showing that this isn’t just a tradition unique to the United States. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. Liberia celebrates this on the first Thursday of November. Grenada and Saint Lucia both have their own harvest-style Thanksgiving holidays. No matter how people spend it—parades, family meals, or quiet time—Thanksgiving continues to remind people of gratitude and togetherness. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the second-to-last Thursday because he wanted a longer Christmas shopping season. Some states disagreed with Roosevelt; While 32 states followed the new date, 16 states stuck to the old date.
In 1941, the Legislature passed a resolution to postpone Thanksgiving to the last Thursday in November. Later in 1941, the Senate changed it to the fourth Thursday in November, and Roosevelt signed the rule into law. Today, Thanksgiving is officially celebrated as a federal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November each year.
FAQ
Q1. When is Thanksgiving 2025?
Thanksgiving 2025 will be on Thursday, November 27.
Q2. Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
Beginning with the harvest festival of 1621, Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a day of thanksgiving for food, family, and togetherness.
