What is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving 2019 - Survey Results
Thanksgiving 2019 timeline
- 1939
'Franksgiving'
President Franklin Roosevelt, in an effort to jolt the nation out of the Great Depression, moved the holiday (potentially) up a week — to the fourth Thursday in November. Thus the holiday can fall as early as November 22 — guaranteeing merchants as much as a week of extra shopping time before Christmas.
- 1863
Wartime celebration
President Lincoln, during the Civil War, urges Americans to ask God to “commend to “heal the wounds of the nation.” He schedules Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November. Magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale, known as “the Mother of Thanksgiving,” had encouraged politicians to do this since 1827.
- 1789
A revolutionary idea
President Washington issues the U.S. government’s first Thanksgiving proclamation — calling on Americans to express gratitude for the new nation and the Constitution.
- 1621
Pilgrim feast
Plymouth colonists and Native Americans from the Wampanoag tribe share an autumn harvest feast. It’s one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies — and the one most Americans (especially kids) look to as the beginning of the modern tradition.
- 1565
America’s (other) first Thanksgiving
Religious scholars argue that Catholic Spanish explorers held a “Mass of Thanksgiving,” in Saint Augustine, Florida — the oldest settlement in the U.S. This would be the first communal thanksgiving celebration in the first permanently settled European colony on American soil.
Thanksgiving Statistics
Thanksgiving 2019 FAQs
Why is Thanksgiving so late 2019?
Why is Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday in 2019?
What week number is Thanksgiving 2019?
Thanksgiving 2019 Activities
Volunteer
Before sitting down to enjoy a nice warm meal at home, invite the family to join you to serve the community by volunteering at a local shelter. It's a great way to give back to those less fortunate and provides an opportunity for the whole family to do something good.
Bake a pie
Pies are a one of the classic Thanksgiving staples. Pecan, pumpkin, apple, cherry — you literally cannot go wrong. Preheat the oven, throw on an apron, and get cooking!
Start a take-out tradition
Cooking a Thanksgiving meal can take hours. Lots of restaurants serve Thanksgiving dinners. Or start a new tradition by ordering take out! It can be the Chinese restaurant down the street, Indian curry, even your favorite pizza place. And tip well! The day is all about being grateful.
Why We Love Thanksgiving 2019
The food
Traditional Thanksgiving dinners generally includes turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, buttered vegetables, warm pumpkin pie, and other indulgent foods. But honestly, anything goes as we approach the 2020s. Vegan’s just fine too.
Family and friends
Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family gather to express gratitude. For some people, it's an occasion to be with family you don't see often. For others, it's a time to get all their friends (Friendsgiving!) together for food and fun.
4-day weekend
Americans look forward to their extended holiday weekend right around the time Halloween ends. Thanksgiving Day starts a mini work/school vacation that also includes Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.