When is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is centered on gratitude, shared meals, and family gatherings. In the United States, it is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year, often marked by long-distance travel, reunion dinners, football, community service, and traditions that blend national culture with family memory.

The classic Thanksgiving meal usually includes roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, but menus vary from family to family and region to region. For many households, the holiday is as much about spending time together as it is about the meal itself.

The modern American Thanksgiving is often traced to harvest celebrations held in colonial New England, especially the 1621 gathering associated with the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag people. Over time, however, Thanksgiving evolved from local observances into a national tradition shaped by politics, religion, and cultural storytelling.

President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863 during the Civil War, encouraging Americans to reflect on gratitude and national unity. In the twentieth century, the holiday became firmly established as a late-November celebration built around family, food, and reflection.

Today, Thanksgiving is widely observed through family dinners, parades, televised football, volunteering, and expressions of thanks. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York has become one of the most recognizable public traditions, while many families begin the day by cooking together or watching sports.

Thanksgiving also marks the start of a major travel and shopping period in the United States. Many workplaces and schools close for several days, giving people time to visit relatives or host guests. The following day, Black Friday, has become closely linked with the Thanksgiving weekend.