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What date to give thanks, Turkey Day facts

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Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in healing a bitterly divided nation, is happening much later in November this year. Traditionally, it is celebrated with lots of food, football games and a parade to welcome the upcoming winter holiday season.

Every year, Thanksgiving attracts a lot of attention and Google searches. Here's a look at what people want to know about the holiday in 2024.

When is Thanksgiving 2024?

Thursday, November 28th is the date of this year's Thanksgiving.

When did Thanksgiving become a national holiday?

President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. According to historians, it was a gesture intended to reconcile a deeply divided country in the midst of civil war.

Lincoln was not the first president to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation – George Washington did so in 1789. However, Lincoln's order set a precedent for celebrating Thanksgiving on the last Thursday in November.

Why is Thanksgiving so late this year?

Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, but that wasn't always the case.

Believe it or not, the United States once celebrated two Thanksgivings for political reasons

According to the National Archives, President Franklin D. Roosevelt postponed Thanksgiving by a week in 1939 to boost retail sales during the Great Depression. Sixteen states refused to accept the change, and Thanksgiving was celebrated on two different dates for two years. The decision, which Roosevelt's critics called “Franksgiving,” proved so unpopular that the president signed a bill in 1941 setting Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November.

When was the first Thanksgiving and why do we celebrate?

The early history of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the fall of 1621 in Massachusetts, but historians note that there are several misconceptions about what it looked like.

Some Americans hold to a romanticized version of Thanksgiving, where the Pilgrims invited Native Americans to a lavish meal. That's not entirely true, historians say, and is one of several myths about Thanksgiving that paint a deceptively rosy narrative and often overlook how Native peoples suffered death, disease, enslavement or forced relocation at the hands of white European settlers.

According to experts, the Pilgrims actually celebrated a three-day Thanksgiving feast in 1621, but according to the National Endowment for the Humanities, there is no record of the Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts receiving an official invitation to the party. Instead, they may have crashed it.

The story continues after the photo gallery.

Historians believe the Wampanoags arrived ready to fight after hearing the Pilgrims firing their weapons into the air during the celebration. Historical records note that 90 members of the tribe, led by Chief Massasoit, decided to stay for the festival – and later brought five deer to the pilgrims to add venison to the menu.

The peace they also enjoyed did not last.

Relations between the two sides deteriorated to the point of bloodshed in the 1670s. At some point, Massasoit's son's severed head was mounted on a pike outside the Plymouth Colony. Not all Native Americans celebrate Thanksgiving these days.

Was turkey always on the menu at Thanksgiving?

According to History.com, turkey was not on the menu at the Pilgrims' Fall Feast. Instead, they probably would have eaten local seafood like mussels, lobster, and perch. The Wampanoag also brought deer and fruits, including pumpkin.

Since when has pumpkin pie been a traditional part of Thanksgiving?

Pumpkin pie was a staple on New England Thanksgiving tables as early as the turn of the 18th century. Legend has it that the town of Colchester, Connecticut postponed its Thanksgiving feast by a week in 1705 due to a shortage of molasses, History.com reports.

The story continues after the photo gallery.

When does the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade start?

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade runs Thursday, November 28, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and will air on NBC and Peacock.

When is Black Friday 2024?

Black Friday, a time when retail stores offer many deals and discounts for holiday shoppers, will take place on Friday, November 29, 2024.

What are the remaining holidays in 2024?

  • Monday, November 11th: Veterans Day
  • Thursday, November 28th: Thanksgiving Day
  • Tuesday, December 24th: Christmas Eve
  • Wednesday, December 25th: Christmas Day
  • Tuesday, December 31st: New Year's Eve

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When is Thanksgiving 2025?

Thursday, November 27th is the date of next year's Thanksgiving holiday.

John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports.

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