What Day Is It?Thanksgiving 2026 is on Thursday, November 26, 2026. In the United States it is always the fourth Thursday of November, a federal holiday built around a family meal.
Why the fourth Thursday?
Thanksgiving traces back to a 1621 harvest feast shared by the Pilgrims at Plymouth and the Wampanoag people. Days of thanks were held on and off for the next two centuries. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving in late November.
In 1939 President Franklin Roosevelt moved the date a week earlier to lengthen the Christmas shopping season, which caused a national argument. A 1941 law settled it: the fourth Thursday of November.
How it is celebrated
Roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are the classics. The Macy’s parade in New York and American football fill the day. The next day is Black Friday, when the holiday shopping season starts.
Canada has its own Thanksgiving, on the second Monday of October.
Thanksgiving dates
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 26 | Thursday |
| 2027 | November 25 | Thursday |
| 2028 | November 23 | Thursday |
Frequently asked questions
Is Thanksgiving always on a Thursday?
Yes. In the United States it is always the fourth Thursday of November, so the date falls between November 22 and 28.
When is Thanksgiving in Canada?
On the second Monday of October.