Why Is Thanksgiving Always Celebrated On Thursday? Explained.

It’s that time of the year again when you get to eat roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy,  pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and much more. Mhmm, delicious, right? 

Do you know the date of Thanksgiving 2023?

This year, in 2023, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on 23rd November, which falls on, unsurprisingly, a Thursday. It is general knowledge that Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year in the US. But, have you ever wondered why unlike other holidays such as Halloween or Christmas, why there is no set date for Thanksgiving? And why Thanksgiving is always celebrated on a Thursday?

Yes, you have pondered upon these questions, but do you have the answers? 

No? 

Then, let’s find out. 

Why Is Thanksgiving Always Celebrated On A Thursday?

The answer lies in the history of the Pilgrims. It is believed that the first Thanksgiving in the US took place when an estimated 53 pilgrims and 90 native Americans had a harvest feast together in 1621. It was supposedly a three-day feast, which happened in the fall of the 17th century. However, there is no way of accurately knowing that the day on which the feast began was a Thursday. 

After the first feast, the celebration wasn’t repeated for over 4 decades. However, in 1668, the celebration took place again, but it also lasted for a few years. The tradition of giving thanks by practiced in Many European countries and it spread to America through Englishmen who traveled to the continent. There was no specific date for this celebration, however, the religious heads and heads of the church were in charge of setting the date and they often chose Thursday. 

A century later, in 1778, when George Bush was the President of the US, he declared November 26 as the official public holiday for Thanksgiving. However, the holiday still changed dates and sometimes even months in the years that followed after the President’s declaration. 

In 1863, when the then President of the US, Abraham Lincoln declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated annually on the last Thursday of November, Thursday became the official Thanksgiving celebration day. 

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The history isn’t over yet. 

Thanksgiving was traditionally observed on the last Thursday in November for almost eight decades before shopkeepers began demanding that the date be changed, as November with five Thursdays started annoying them because there wasn't enough time between Thanksgiving and Christmas to do any shopping.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the then President agreed to their demands, believing that moving the holiday’s date would benefit the economy. However, many people were against changing the date. 

As a result, different states started celebrating Thanksgiving on various dates between 1939 and 1941. 

Finally, the battle of dates ended when Congress passed a law on December 26, 1941, setting the date of Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November. The law was made official by President Roosevelt and since then Thanksgiving has always been celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. 

To help the shopkeepers and retailers, the day after Thanksgiving is celebrated as Black Friday, the biggest shopping festival of the year. 

Thanksgiving 2022 will be celebrated on November 24. But whatever date it may fall on, remember to give your thanks, and celebrate the holiday with your family/friends. Also, don’t forget to devour the delicious food.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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