When is Thanksgiving 2024? What date does the holiday fall on this year.

On November 22, 2024By Littum

With the Halloween season over, some people are ready to fast-forward to December and embrace the winter holidays and party spirit—just ask Mariah Carey.

But between October and December there is another holiday that brings friends and family together. Thanksgiving’s origins may not be as precise as the stories that appear in children’s stories or high school textbooks, but many see the day as an opportunity to enjoy the company of loved ones and show gratitude.

Over the years, the holiday has become synonymous with football games, good food and of course the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Here’s when Thanksgiving falls this year.

When is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving this year is Thursday, November 28, 2024.

What day does Thanksgiving fall on?

The holiday falls every year on the fourth Thursday in November.

Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving did not become a national holiday until 1863, although the “first celebration” is said to have taken place in 1621reports the History Channel. The story, historically told from the perspective of the white pilgrim, is that colonists shared a meal with the native Wampanoag people to give thanks for a successful fall harvest.

However, this knowledge is not entirely accurate. Most accounts of the event’s significance are often overstated, USA TODAY reporter Eryn Dion noted in her reporting.

Members of the Wampanoag were not formally invited as a gesture of good grace. Instead, the pilgrims became rowdy at their feast and began shooting into the air. Fearing violence, the Wampanoag warriors came to identify the rebellion—prepared for war if necessary—but saw it as a party and eventually joined in.

The holiday was recognized nationally in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln appointed on the last Thursday in November to be “Thanksgiving,” the History Channel reports. It was observed on that day until 1939, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt solidified it as the Fourth Thursday in hopes of boosting retail sales during the Great Depression.

This sentiment has continued through the decades as holiday shopping and spending booms around Thanksgiving and beyond.

Just curious about more?

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