What date is Thanksgiving? Here’s why the holiday is so much later this year than before
As Californians get ready to gather for turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and football, you may be wondering why Thanksgiving feels a little later this year.
In 2024, the holiday will be celebrated nearly a week later than the year before.
Unlike Christmas on Dec. 25 or Independence Day on July 4, Thanksgiving doesn’t fall on a fixed date each year.
Here’s why:
When was the first Thanksgiving?
According to the National Archives Museum, the first Thanksgiving was during the fall of 1621, when at least 90 Wampanoag people joined 52 English settlers in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, to celebrate a successful harvest.
“It is remembered today as the ‘First Thanksgiving,’ although no one back then used that term,” the museum’s website says.
Why is Thanksgiving not on the same calendar date each year?
Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November since 1941, causing its date to shift each year, according to the National Archives Museum.
This decision by Congress aimed to create a consistent holiday while also supporting the holiday shopping season leading up to Christmas.
Why is Thanksgiving on a later date in 2024?
Thanksgiving can fall as early as Nov. 22 and as late as Nov. 28, with the calendar and leap years influencing the specific date, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
When November has five Thursdays, Thanksgiving falls on an earlier date, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
Where there are only four Thursdays in November, the holiday lands on a later date.
For example, Thanksgiving was on Nov. 23 in 2023.
In 2022, it was celebrated on Nov. 24.
What day is Thanksgiving this year?
Since 2024 is a leap year, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on the latest possible date: Thursday, Nov. 28.
This won’t happen again until 2030.
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 12:50 PM with the headline "What date is Thanksgiving? Here’s why the holiday is so much later this year than before."
