Thanksgiving 2026: Thursday, November 26
Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, so it always falls between November 22 and 28. In 2026, it is on Thursday, November 26. The countdown above aims at the start of the day. Set the time to dinner if you are hosting: it is a good way to plan the cooking backward.
Why the fourth Thursday?
Americans often trace Thanksgiving to the harvest feast shared by the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag in 1621. For a long time, each state chose its own day. On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln set a national Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November.
In 1939, the last Thursday was November 30. President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday one week earlier to give stores a longer shopping season, and states ended up celebrating on different days. Congress settled it with a joint resolution that names the fourth Thursday in November. Roosevelt signed it on December 26, 1941, and it has applied since 1942. Canada celebrates its own Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October.
Thanksgiving in the coming years
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Thursday, November 26, 2026 |
| 2027 | Thursday, November 25, 2027 |
| 2028 | Thursday, November 23, 2028 |
| 2029 | Thursday, November 22, 2029 |
| 2030 | Thursday, November 28, 2030 |
| 2031 | Thursday, November 27, 2031 |
| 2032 | Thursday, November 25, 2032 |
Plan the turkey
- Thaw it in time: in the refrigerator, allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, as the USDA advises. A 20-pound turkey needs four to five days.
- Write a schedule from dinner time backward, then use the online timer for each dish.
- Travel early: the Wednesday before is one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The next day is Black Friday: the Black Friday countdown is already set. Thanksgiving also opens the holiday season: Christmas comes four to five weeks later, and the Christmas countdown is ready too.