You’re staring at the calendar, trying to book a flight or figure out when to brine that bird, and you find yourself asking: is thanksgiving on the third thursday of november?
The short answer? No. It’s the fourth. But honestly, if you thought it was the third, you aren’t actually crazy. You’re just about eighty-five years late to a massive national argument that involved angry football coaches, confused calendar makers, and a very stressed-out Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Most people assume the holiday has always been where it is. We have this cozy, static image of the Pilgrims and Sarah Josepha Hale—the "Mother of Thanksgiving"—setting a date and everyone sticking to it. Reality was way more chaotic. For a brief, weird window in American history, the date of Thanksgiving moved around like a restless houseguest.
The Confusion Over the Fourth vs. the Third Thursday
Nowadays, the rule is locked in. Since 1941, federal law has mandated that Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November. Because of how the calendar shifts, this means the holiday can land as early as November 22 or as late as November 28.
But back in 1939, things got weird.
That year, November had five Thursdays. President Roosevelt looked at the economy—which was still struggling to shake off the Great Depression—and panicked. He realized that if Thanksgiving fell on the last Thursday (November 30), the Christmas shopping season would be way too short. Retailers were terrified. They begged FDR to move the holiday up by one week to the third Thursday of November to give people more time to spend money.
He did it. And people absolutely lost their minds.
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Why "Franksgiving" Almost Ruined November
When FDR declared that Thanksgiving would be moved to the third Thursday, he didn't realize he was poking a hornet's nest of tradition and scheduling. It was a mess.
School calendars were already printed. Football coaches had already scheduled huge rivalry games for the "traditional" date and found themselves playing on a day that was no longer a holiday for half their fans. People started calling the new date "Franksgiving," a sarcastic nod to Roosevelt’s perceived overreach.
The country actually split. According to archives from the FDR Library and Museum, 23 states decided to recognize the new "Democratic" Thanksgiving on the third Thursday. Meanwhile, 22 states stuck with the traditional last Thursday, which they called the "Republican" Thanksgiving. Texas, being Texas, decided to take both days off just to be safe.
If you were traveling across state lines in 1939 or 1940, you might literally leave a state where it was Thanksgiving and arrive in one where everyone was at work and the stores were open. It was a logistical nightmare that lasted for two years until Congress finally stepped in to stop the madness.
Making it Official: The 1941 Compromise
By 1941, the experiment was widely considered a flop. It hadn't actually boosted retail sales as much as hoped, and the public was tired of the confusion.
Congress passed a joint resolution. They wanted to fix the date forever. However, they didn't go back to the "last" Thursday. They chose the fourth Thursday.
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Usually, the fourth Thursday is the last Thursday. But in years with five Thursdays, the holiday stays put on the fourth one. This was the middle ground. It gave retailers their extra week of shopping occasionally, but it provided a predictable rhythm that everyone could agree on. President Roosevelt signed it into law on December 26, 1941.
How the Calendar Math Actually Works
If you're still wondering if is thanksgiving on the third thursday of november in some weird leap year scenario, let's look at the math.
The cycle of the days of the week repeats every 28 years. Because a week has seven days, and November has 30 days, the "fourth Thursday" is a moving target.
- If November 1st is a Friday, the fourth Thursday is the 28th.
- If November 1st is a Monday, the fourth Thursday is the 25th.
- In a year like 1939, where November 1st was a Wednesday, the "last" Thursday was the 30th, but the "fourth" was the 23rd.
This is why people get confused. We tend to use "last" and "fourth" interchangeably, but they aren't the same. Whenever you see a calendar where November starts on a Wednesday or Thursday, there will be five Thursdays total. In those years, Thanksgiving feels "early" because there's still a full week of November left after the pumpkin pie is gone.
Why Does This Even Matter for SEO and Planning?
Travel. It's always about travel.
Understanding that the holiday is the fourth Thursday helps you predict the "Black Friday" rush. If Thanksgiving is on the 22nd (the earliest possible date), the holiday season feels incredibly long. If it’s on the 28th (the latest possible date), the transition into December is violent and fast.
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Knowing this history also helps clear up why old family recipes or newspaper clippings might have weird dates. If you find a diary entry from a great-grandparent talking about Thanksgiving dinner on November 23rd, 1939, they weren't getting the date wrong—they were just living through the "Franksgiving" era.
The Cultural Ripple Effects of the Date Change
The shift to the fourth Thursday did more than just change when we eat turkey. It solidified the "Holiday Season" as a distinct economic and social period in American life.
Before the 1941 law, the start of Christmas shopping was a loose suggestion. After the law, it became a rigid cultural starting gun. Macy’s, which had been a big proponent of the date change, used the predictability to turn their Thanksgiving Day Parade into the unofficial kickoff for the entire winter season.
There's also the "Turkey Day" football tradition. Many high school and college rivalries were nearly destroyed by the 1939-1941 flip-flop. Coaches were some of the loudest voices writing angry letters to the White House. They argued that moving the date messed up the "spirit of the game." Today, the NFL has capitalized on the fourth Thursday so heavily that it’s almost impossible to imagine the games happening on any other day.
Common Misconceptions to Toss Out
- "It's always the last Thursday." Nope. In five-Thursday years, there's a week left.
- "Abraham Lincoln set the fourth Thursday." Close, but not quite. Lincoln's 1863 proclamation set it for the last Thursday. It stayed that way until FDR's meddling and the subsequent 1941 law.
- "It was moved to help farmers." Total myth. It was moved to help department stores like Federated Department Stores (now Macy's).
Actionable Steps for Your November Planning
Stop guessing. If you want to stay ahead of the curve for the next few years, don't just look at the current month.
- Check the "First" of the month. If November 1st is a Friday, you’re looking at a late Thanksgiving (Nov 28). Start your shopping early because that "buffer" week before Christmas won't exist.
- Ignore "Franksgiving" logic. Unless you’re a time traveler, the third Thursday is never the answer.
- Book travel based on the Wednesday-Sunday window. Regardless of whether it's the 22nd or the 28th, the travel patterns remain the same. The Wednesday before the fourth Thursday is statistically the worst day to be at an airport.
- Verify school calendars. Even though the federal law is set, some local districts or private institutions still have weird "fall break" schedules that don't always perfectly align with the Thursday-Friday holiday.
Next time someone asks you is thanksgiving on the third thursday of november, you can tell them they're wrong—but also tell them they would have been right in 1939, at least if they lived in a "Democratic" state. It’s a bit of trivia that makes you sound like a history buff while also ensuring nobody misses dinner.
To be safe, just remember: count four Thursdays, buy the turkey, and ignore the urge to start the Christmas music until the fourth Friday hits.
Calendar Cheat Sheet for the Next Few Years:
- 2026: November 26 (Fourth Thursday)
- 2027: November 25 (Fourth Thursday)
- 2028: November 23 (Fourth Thursday)