Thanksgiving date: when Thanksgiving falls in 2026, 2027 and beyond

The short answer: the thanksgiving date in the United States is always the fourth Thursday in November.

• Thanksgiving 2026: Thursday, November 26
• Thanksgiving 2027: Thursday, November 25
• Dates through 2030 and why the holiday moves
• A four-week countdown for planning the meal
• Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

The Thanksgiving date in the United States is always the fourth Thursday in November. That makes Thanksgiving 2026 Thursday, November 26, and Thanksgiving 2027 Thursday, November 25. Below you'll find the dates through 2030, why the holiday moves, how it got fixed to the fourth Thursday, and a four-week countdown for planning the meal. For a live count that updates every day, see our Thanksgiving countdown.

When is Thanksgiving 2026?

Thanksgiving 2026 is on Thursday, November 26, 2026. It's the fourth Thursday in November, and for most people it starts a four-day weekend. Here's how Thanksgiving week 2026 lines up:

How many days till Thanksgiving?

Counting the days until Thanksgiving is easy once you know the date. From any day in November 2026, subtract today's date from 26. From a day in October, add the days left in October to 26. On October 29, 2026, for example, there are 2 days left in October, so Thanksgiving is 28 days away, exactly four weeks.

The planning countdown further down this page turns those weeks into a to-do list, so nothing waits until the last few days.

Future Thanksgiving dates, 2026 to 2035

These are the dates on the Federal Reserve holiday schedule, which lists Thanksgiving Day for every year from 2026 to 2030. The 2031 to 2035 dates are the fourth Thursday of November on the calendar, worked out the same way. Thanksgiving always falls between November 22 and November 28, because the fourth Thursday can only land in that seven-day window.

How the Thanksgiving date is set

The rule is simple: count the Thursdays in November and take the fourth one. A quick way to find it for any year:

1. Find the first Thursday of November. It will be between November 1 and 7.
2. Add 21 days. That's Thanksgiving.

For 2026, the first Thursday is November 5, so Thanksgiving is November 26. For 2027, the first Thursday is November 4, so Thanksgiving is November 25.

Fourth Thursday vs. last Thursday

Most years, the fourth Thursday is also the last Thursday of November. In some years November has five Thursdays, and then the two are different. That's exactly the gap Congress had to settle in 1941. It happens again soon:

In 2028 and 2029 Thanksgiving comes a full week before the end of the month, which gives a little more breathing room between Thanksgiving and December.

Why Thanksgiving moved: a short history

The National Archives history of how Congress set Thanksgiving tells the story of how the date was fixed:

• 1789: On September 28, the first Federal Congress asked the President to recommend a day of thanksgiving. A few days later George Washington proclaimed Thursday, November 26, 1789, as a "Day of Publick Thanksgivin," the first under the new Constitution.
• After Washington: later presidents issued proclamations too, but the dates and even the months varied.
• 1863: Abraham Lincoln's proclamation began the custom of celebrating on the last Thursday of November each year.
• 1939: the last Thursday fell on November 30. Worried that a short Christmas shopping season would hurt the economic recovery, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the second-to-last Thursday. Thirty-two states went along and 16 refused, so for two years the country celebrated on two different days.
• 1941: the House passed a resolution for the last Thursday. The Senate changed it to the fourth Thursday to account for years with five Thursdays, the House agreed, and Roosevelt signed it on December 26, 1941.

Britannica's Britannica entry on Thanksgiving Day adds the campaign behind Lincoln's decision: Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book, pushed for a national Thanksgiving Day to promote unity, and Lincoln proclaimed it on October 3, 1863, during the Civil War.

The first Thanksgiving in 1621

Britannica describes the 1621 harvest feast at Plymouth, commonly called the first Thanksgiving. A few colonists went out "fowling," probably for geese and ducks more than turkeys. About 90 Wampanoag arrived at the settlement, which had about 50 colonists, and the two groups spent several days together. The Wampanoag contributed venison, and the meal probably included fish, eels, shellfish, stews and vegetables. Most people ate outdoors, sitting on the ground or on barrels.

Thanksgiving traditions that came later

Many of the things people expect on the Thanksgiving date are newer than the holiday. Britannica notes:

• Football: Thanksgiving Day games began with Yale versus Princeton in 1876.
• Parades: Gimbel's department store in Philadelphia staged a parade in 1920, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City has run since 1924, with giant balloons since 1927.
• The turkey pardon: it became an annual White House event under George H.W. Bush in 1989.
• The wishbone: two people pull a dried wishbone, and whoever gets the longer piece gets their wish.
• Giving back: many Americans volunteer or organize food drives on Thanksgiving.

Canadian Thanksgiving

Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October, according to Britannica. That was October 12 in 2026, and it will be October 11 in 2027. If you have family on both sides of the border, you get two dates to plan around.

Is Thanksgiving a federal holiday?

Yes. Thanksgiving Day is on the federal holiday list, and the Federal Reserve Banks are closed. Because it is always on a Thursday, it never needs a weekend "observed" day. The Friday after is not a federal holiday, though many schools and employers give it off. If you work that weekend, our guide to holiday pay explains how it usually works.

Your Thanksgiving countdown

Counting back from the Thanksgiving date takes the stress out of the meal. For November 26, 2026:

For 2027, subtract one day from each date. Our Thanksgiving checklist has the full printable timeline, and how to plan Thanksgiving dinner walks through it step by step.

Planning the menu and shopping

Shopping from one list keeps Thanksgiving affordable and stops the extra store run on Wednesday night. Start with the Thanksgiving menu template, turn it into a Thanksgiving grocery list, and if guests are bringing dishes, use a Thanksgiving potluck sign-up sheet so you don't end up with four pies and no rolls.

The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly meal planner, a grocery list and pantry and freezer pages, which work just as well for one big meal as for a normal week. For tips on keeping the cost down, see Thanksgiving on a budget.

Keep the family recipes in one place

Thanksgiving is when family recipes come out: the stuffing someone's grandmother made, the pie only one person knows how to bake. Write them down this year. The Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) has section dividers, four recipe page layouts, 4x6 and 3x5 recipe cards and a conversion chart, so you can collect them as people cook and keep them for next year.

Thanksgiving on the November calendar

Thanksgiving isn't the only date in November worth planning around. The Federal Reserve schedule also lists Veterans Day on November 11, which is a Wednesday in 2026 and a Thursday in 2027. Put both on the calendar at the start of the month, along with school conferences, travel days and the date you'll do the big shop. For more on this topic, see our holiday countdowns hub.

Our free November 2026 calendar has Thanksgiving marked and a planner page for the month, and the 2027 calendar covers next year.

When the date is early or late

Because the Thanksgiving date moves by up to six days, the weeks around it feel different from year to year:

• An early Thanksgiving (November 22 or 23) leaves about a week of November afterward. It's a good year to put off decorating until December and use the extra week to pay down any Thanksgiving spending before gift shopping starts.
• A late Thanksgiving (November 27 or 28) pushes straight into December. Make the gift list and budget before Thanksgiving, since there are fewer shopping weekends before Christmas.
• A middle date (November 24 to 26) is the most common rhythm. Use the weekend after Thanksgiving to plan December.

Whichever year it is, write the Thanksgiving date on the calendar by early October and count back from there.

Thanksgiving weekend 2026: which dates belong on the calendar?

Thanksgiving Day in the United States is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Keep that date separate from the shopping weekend and any school's or employer's break. A federal holiday calendar does not establish every private business's opening hours or every student's vacation dates.

The OPM federal holiday calendar lists Thanksgiving Day for federal employees. Friday is not automatically a federal holiday because it follows Thanksgiving. Check an employer or school's own calendar before booking a four-day trip.

Is Thanksgiving always on the last Thursday?

Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday, which can be November 22 through November 28. It is also the last Thursday in years with only four Thursdays in November. In a year with five Thursdays, the holiday comes one week before the last Thursday. For example, in 2029 the fourth Thursday is November 22 and the fifth is November 29.

That distinction explains why a rule such as "the last Thursday" can put a future dinner on the wrong date. For a shared calendar, write the full date and year rather than only "Thanksgiving weekend." If relatives are celebrating on a different day, label the gathering separately from the official holiday.

Planning a meal on a different day

Friendsgiving, a workplace potluck or a delayed family dinner can use any agreed date. Move the grocery and preparation tasks with the gathering; do not automatically thaw a turkey on the date used for a Thursday dinner. Count backward from your chosen serving day using the recipe and safe thawing guidance.

Use the Thanksgiving dinner planning timeline for the meal itself and the Thanksgiving planning guide for the wider checklist.

Thanksgiving starts the holiday season

The Thanksgiving date also marks the start of the holiday shopping season. That was the reason for Roosevelt's change, and it's still true. Black Friday is November 27 in 2026 and November 26 in 2027. Set your holiday budget before the long weekend, not after.

The Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99) has six tools for the season: the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner, a Sinking Funds Tracker, the Meal Planner & Grocery List, the 100 Envelope challenge, a Bill Tracker Printable and the Cleaning Schedule. Fill in the gift list and budget on Thanksgiving weekend and the rest of the season gets easier. If you only need the gift side, the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner is $4.99 on its own.

Thanksgiving date at a glance

• Rule: the fourth Thursday in November (United States).
• 2026: Thursday, November 26.
• 2027: Thursday, November 25.
• Range: always November 22 to 28.
• Canada: the second Monday in October.
• Set by: a 1941 joint resolution signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

More holiday planning lives on our Thanksgiving hub, and our holiday calendar lists every federal holiday for the year.

Once the date is on the calendar, plan the day around these Thanksgiving traditions and where they came from.