Thanksgiving 2025: Dates, Traditions, and Recipes

Thanksgiving 2025: Dates, Traditions, and Origins

Thanksgiving in the United States is observed annually on the fourth Thursday in November. In 2025, this falls on Thursday, November 27. The holiday date changes each year but always remains between November 22 and November 28.

Historical Background of Thanksgiving Dates

Thanksgiving has officially been celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November since 1941. Previously, in 1939, President Roosevelt moved it to the third Thursday, but this change was unpopular and eventually reversed.

Canadian Thanksgiving

In contrast, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. In 2025, this date is Monday, October 13.

Origins and Traditions

Native Americans in North America had harvest festivals long before Thanksgiving became a federal holiday in the United States. Colonial records show these autumnal feasts, which celebrated bountiful harvests, dating back to the late 1500s.

“Why is Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November? (No, it’s not about a Pilgrim feast.) Get the facts. And why is it on the fourth Thursday in November? (No, it’s not about a Pilgrim feast.)”

Clarifying Common Misconceptions

Despite popular belief, the choice of the fourth Thursday in November for Thanksgiving is not directly linked to the Pilgrims’ first feast but comes from later presidential proclamations by Washington and Lincoln.

Summary

Thanksgiving is a longstanding American tradition marked each November’s fourth Thursday, rooted in harvest celebrations observed by Native Americans and formalized through presidential declarations rather than colonial pilgrim feasts.

Author's summary: Thanksgiving dates trace back to presidential proclamations and harvest festivals, evolving into the current national holiday celebrated every fourth Thursday of November.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac — 2025-11-05