Thanksgiving 2025

In 1789, per a request by Congressional resolution, President George Washington proclaimed “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer.” In 1863, President Lincoln issued a proclamation making Thanksgiving an official annual holiday to be commemorated each year on the last Thursday of November. To stimulate economic recovery following the Great Depression, in 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt moved the holiday to the second to the last Thursday of the month to extend the holiday shopping season. (Source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) )

To alleviate confusion, Congress passed H.J. Res. 41 (77th Congress) on October 6, 1941, to establish Thanksgiving Day as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. President Roosevelt signed the joint resolution into law in December of 1941, to take effect the following year (Source: House Historical Highlights ). The following are excerpts of remarks from the Bound Congressional Record regarding H.J. Res. 41.

"There appears to be no act of Congress that has ever designated a particular day as Thanksgiving Day.... In short, this bill will fix the last Thursday in November as the permanent day for our annual Thanksgiving." Representative Michener, October 6, 1941, Remarks on H.J. Res 41 (77th Congress)

"The rather universal sentiment seems to be that we should return to the old custom of the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day." Representative O’Hara , October 6, 1941, Remarks on H.J. Res 41 (77th Congress)

"...in 1940 the President of the United States...advanced Thanksgiving Day from its traditional date in the calendar to the third Thursday of November... In the House of Representatives, a great many thought the Congress should fix definitely the last Thursday in November in each year as Thanksgiving Day, and remove it beyond the power of Executive interference." Senator Danaher, December 9, 1941, Remarks on consideration of H.J. Res. 41 (77th Congress) as reported from Senate the Committee on the Judiciary with an amendment

Related Resources

• Look at the Library of Congress article "A Presidential History of Thanksgiving" to see how the presidency has had a long history with the holiday.
• Learn more from the National Archives News on Thanksgiving and view related records.
• Check out these fun facts about Thanksgiving from the U.S. National Archives.
• Learn more about Thanksgiving Food Safety from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture's webpage gives insight on "Frozen or Fresh: Which Turkey Should You Buy?"
• Explore "Tips to Reduce Food Waste at Thanksgiving" on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shares "5 Tips to Gobble Up for a Safe Thanksgiving."