Americans across the country mark Thanksgiving on November 27, 2025, gathering for a holiday built around food, family, and reflection. Always observed on the fourth Thursday of November, the day has grown from its early colonial roots into a national occasion that blends long-standing customs with modern interpretations.
The event most often linked to the holiday took place in 1621, when English settlers in Plymouth held a multiday harvest gathering after surviving their first year in New England. Roughly ninety Wampanoag joined them, including their leader Massasoit. Accounts from the period mention corn dishes, venison, and various birds, but make no direct reference to turkey or many of the foods now associated with the modern table. The Wampanoag had shared knowledge of local planting and growing practices, helping the newcomers adapt. Their cooperation created a short-lived relationship that shaped the colony’s early survival.
During the following centuries, expressions of thanks appeared irregularly. Local leaders and clergy sometimes announced days of prayer or gratitude after plentiful harvests or moments of relief during conflict. These observances varied from region to region and were not tied to a consistent schedule. In the years leading up to the American Revolution, many towns in New England held gatherings each autumn, drawing on both English and Indigenous practices.
National observances took clearer form after independence. Leaders in the Continental Congress encouraged days of reflection during the Revolutionary War, and several presidents in the early republic issued temporary proclamations. Still, the country lacked a unified, recurring holiday. That changed in the 1800s, due in part to the efforts of writer and editor Sarah Josepha Hale. For many years, she urged officials to establish a dependable national date, publishing essays and contacting political leaders to promote the idea.
Her long campaign coincided with the turmoil of the Civil War. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a formal appeal for the nation to pause and give thanks. The message, crafted with the assistance of Secretary of State William Seward, invited Americans to reflect during an extremely difficult year. Though previous presidents had issued similar notices, Lincoln’s call helped lay the groundwork for the holiday’s modern identity.
The calendar date shifted once more in the 20th century. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the observance to the fourth Thursday of November in hopes of providing merchants with more time before the Christmas season. Congress later wrote this timing into law in 1941, creating the schedule still followed today.
Thanksgiving traditions developed rapidly throughout the 1900s. Macy’s launched its well-known parade in 1924. Football became a holiday fixture by the 1930s. The annual turkey presentation at the White House began in 1947 and remains part of the season’s public ceremonies. In recent years, the National Turkey Federation has estimated that Americans consume more than 40 million turkeys during the holiday.
Thanksgiving in 2025 reflects both continuity and change. Many families gather in person, while others include relatives online. Communities volunteer at shelters and food banks. Native groups continue to observe a Day of Mourning in Plymouth, calling attention to the devastating effects of colonization on Indigenous people. As Americans sit down for their meals, the holiday offers an opportunity to consider both the shared traditions that connect households today and the complicated history that shaped the first gatherings hundreds of years ago.
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