You've probably asked yourself while staring at a frozen turkey: Why is Thanksgiving always on a Thursday? It feels like one of those cosmic rules, right? Like how the Super Bowl is always on a Sunday or why your taxes are due in April. But honestly, the "Thursday thing" isn't just some random accident or a quirk of the calendar. It’s actually the result of centuries of religious tradition, some very intense lobbying by a magazine editor, and a massive political fight that almost ruined the holiday in the 1930s.
Most of us grew up thinking the Pilgrims just sat down on a Thursday in 1621 and called it a day. That’s not really how it went. In reality, the "First Thanksgiving" was a three-day harvest celebration that likely happened in late September or October. There wasn't even a set day for it. For a long time, Thanksgiving was just whenever a local governor felt like having one.
The Religious Roots of the Thursday Tradition
So, why Thursday? If you go back to the 17th century, the Puritans in New England were pretty picky about their holidays. They actually hated Christmas. They thought it was too "popish" and rowdy. Instead of fixed religious holidays, they preferred "Days of Fasting" and "Days of Thanksgiving."
These days were usually called on Thursdays. Why? Because it wasn't the Sabbath (Sunday). They didn't want to mix their solemn religious days with the regular Sunday service. Also, Thursday was often "lecture day" in New England. Since people were already heading into town for mid-week sermons, it just made sense to double up and have the big meal then. It was practical. By the time the Revolutionary War rolled around, Thursday was already the unofficial-official day for giving thanks.
Sarah Josepha Hale: The Woman Who Saved Thursday
If it weren't for a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale, we might not be having this conversation. She was the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, which was basically the Vogue of the 19th century. Sarah was obsessed with making Thanksgiving a national holiday. For 36 years, she wrote letters to five different presidents—Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and finally, Abraham Lincoln.
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She wanted a day that would unify a country that was literally tearing itself apart over slavery. She specifically pushed for the last Thursday of November. Why the last one? She thought it would be a nice bookend to the year, and since George Washington had issued a proclamation for a Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 1789, she leaned into that historical precedent.
Finally, in 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, Lincoln listened. He issued a proclamation making the last Thursday of November a national day of thanks. He wanted to heal the "wounds of the nation." Thursday was now the law of the land, or at least the tradition of the land.
That One Time We Tried To Move It (And Failed)
Here is where things get weird. In 1939, the United States was still dragging itself out of the Great Depression. That year, November had five Thursdays. This meant Thanksgiving would fall on the very last day of the month, November 30.
Retailers were panicking. Back then, it was considered "bad form" to start advertising for Christmas before Thanksgiving. If Thanksgiving was on the 30th, the shopping season would be super short. They begged President Franklin D. Roosevelt to move the holiday up by one week.
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Roosevelt actually did it.
He moved Thanksgiving to the second-to-last Thursday (November 23). People lost their minds. It was absolute chaos. Some governors followed the President, while others—mostly Republicans who hated FDR—refused to change it. For a few years, the country had two different Thanksgivings. People called FDR's version "Franksgiving."
Football coaches were furious because they had already scheduled big rivalry games for the 30th. Calendar makers had already printed millions of calendars that were now wrong. It was a total mess. Eventually, in 1941, Congress stepped in and passed a law. They basically said, "Look, we’re done with this." They officially set Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of November. This way, even in years with five Thursdays, the holiday stays relatively early, and retailers get their shopping window.
Why Not Friday or Monday?
You’d think a Friday would make more sense. A three-day weekend right off the bat? Sounds great. But the history is just too deep. If we moved it to Friday, it would lose that "lecture day" connection from the 1600s. If we moved it to Monday, it would just feel like Labor Day with more gravy.
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There’s also the "bridge" factor. By having it on Thursday, people naturally started taking Friday off too. This created the modern four-day weekend. It also created Black Friday, which is now a pillar of the American economy. If you moved Thanksgiving to a Monday, you’d kill the biggest shopping day of the year.
Does the Rest of the World Do This?
Not really. Canada, for example, celebrates their Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. Their harvest happens earlier because it gets colder faster up there. They don't have the same Thursday obsession we do. Most other cultures that have harvest festivals tie them to the lunar calendar or specific crop cycles, not a specific day of the week like we do in the States.
The Practical Side of the Fourth Thursday
The "fourth Thursday" rule is actually a clever bit of scheduling. Because it’s a Thursday, it allows for:
- Travel Buffers: People can travel on Wednesday, eat on Thursday, recover on Friday, and head home on Sunday.
- The Parade Effect: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a staple since 1924. Its timing is built around that Thursday morning slot.
- Football Overload: The NFL has played on Thanksgiving since its inception. The Detroit Lions have played every Thanksgiving since 1934 (except during WWII). Thursday is now synonymous with the sport.
When you look at the math, Thanksgiving can fall anywhere between November 22 and November 28. It never hits the 29th or 30th anymore because of that 1941 law.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Thanksgiving
Knowing the history is cool, but how does it help you now? Understanding why we do what we do can actually make the holiday less stressful.
- Stop Stressing the "Traditional" Date: Since the date was literally moved by a president to help stores sell more stuff, don't feel guilty if your family needs to celebrate on a different day. The "Thursday" part is just a legal compromise.
- Plan for the "Franksgiving" Effect: Remember that the Wednesday before is the busiest travel day of the year. If you can, travel on Monday or Tuesday. Most people are still stuck in the 1941 mindset of traveling the day before.
- Use Friday for "Non-Consumer" Stuff: Since the Thursday/Friday bridge was created for shopping, reclaim it. Go for a hike. The stores are a nightmare anyway.
- Teach the Real History: When someone asks why you're eating turkey on a Thursday, tell them about Sarah Josepha Hale. She’s the real hero of the story, not the Pilgrims.
The reason why is Thanksgiving always on a Thursday comes down to a mix of religious habits, a persistent magazine editor, and a President’s failed attempt to help the economy. It’s a messy, very American story. Next time you’re passing the mashed potatoes, just be glad we don’t have two different Thanksgivings anymore. That was a weird time for everyone.