You’re standing in the grocery aisle, staring at a frozen turkey that weighs as much as a small toddler, and you suddenly realize you have no idea when the big day actually happens. It’s a common panic. You might find yourself wondering, is Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November, or did I dream that?
The short answer? No. It’s not.
Most years, we eat our stuffing and fall into a tryptophan coma on the fourth Thursday of the month. But honestly, if you thought it was the third, you aren’t crazy. You’re just about 80 years behind on the news. There was a brief, chaotic window in American history where the country couldn’t agree on when to pass the gravy, leading to a period people literally called "Franksgiving."
Why people ask: Is Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November?
We can blame Franklin D. Roosevelt for the confusion. Seriously.
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Back in 1939, the United States was still clawing its way out of the Great Depression. That year, November had five Thursdays. Traditionally, ever since Abraham Lincoln made the holiday official during the Civil War, presidents had proclaimed the last Thursday of November as the day of thanks. But in 1939, the last Thursday was November 30th.
Retailers freaked out.
They worried that such a late Thanksgiving would shorten the Christmas shopping season and hurt the economy. They begged Roosevelt to move it up a week. To the shock of many, he did. He moved it to the third Thursday (which was the 23rd that year).
It didn't go well.
People were livid. Calendars were already printed. Football coaches had already scheduled games. Half the governors in the country refused to follow the federal lead. For a couple of years, depending on which state you lived in, you might celebrate on the third Thursday or the fourth. It was a mess. Texas, being Texas, even decided to celebrate both.
The law that fixed the fourth Thursday
Eventually, Congress stepped in to stop the madness. On December 26, 1941, FDR signed a joint resolution into law. This established that Thanksgiving would be the fourth Thursday in November.
Why the fourth and not the "last"?
Most of the time, the fourth Thursday is the last Thursday. But in years where November has five Thursdays, the law ensures we don’t wait until the very end of the month. This creates a bit of a "floating" window. Thanksgiving can fall as early as November 22nd or as late as November 28th.
If you’re looking at your calendar for 2026, you'll see it lands on November 26th.
It’s interesting how a simple scheduling conflict nearly a century ago still trips people up today. We have this collective "muscle memory" of the holiday moving around, even if we don't remember the political drama of the 1930s.
When Thanksgiving actually falls in the coming years
Since the math can get a bit weird, here is the breakdown of the next few years. You’ll notice it is never the third Thursday.
In 2026, the holiday is November 26th.
Next year, in 2027, it hits on November 25th.
Looking way ahead to 2028, we get an early one on November 23rd.
The pattern is consistent because of the 1941 law, but because our calendar shifts by one day every year (or two in a leap year), the date feels like a moving target.
The "Franksgiving" legacy and retail pressure
It is kind of wild that the entire reason we have a set date for Thanksgiving is based on consumerism. Roosevelt wasn't trying to be a grinch; he was trying to save the economy.
At the time, there was an unwritten rule that stores wouldn't put out Christmas decorations or start sales until after Thanksgiving. By moving the holiday earlier—to that "third Thursday" everyone asks about—he was effectively trying to manufacture an extra week of holiday spending.
Critics called it "Franksgiving," a jab at the President's name. They saw it as a blatant attempt to commercialize a day of gratitude.
Eventually, the retailers won anyway.
Now, we see Christmas lights in October and Black Friday sales starting on Wednesday. The "shortened shopping season" fear that drove the 1939 change seems almost quaint now. We’ve become a culture that celebrates the "holiday season" as a two-month marathon rather than a series of distinct days.
How the date affects your travel and wallet
Knowing that it’s the fourth Thursday—not the third—is actually pretty important for your bank account.
Because the date is fixed to a specific Thursday, travel patterns are incredibly predictable. The Wednesday before and the Sunday after are consistently the most expensive and busiest travel days of the year in the U.S. If you go into the month thinking is Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November and you book your flights based on that, you're going to have a very lonely (and expensive) dinner at the airport.
Pro tip: If you want to beat the system, fly on Thanksgiving morning.
It’s usually the cheapest day of the week to fly because everyone is already where they need to be, or they’re busy basting a bird. You might miss the parade, but you'll save enough on airfare to buy everyone’s Christmas presents.
Does the fourth Thursday happen in other countries?
Nope.
Canada celebrates Thanksgiving, but they do it in October. On the second Monday, to be precise.
Their reasoning is more practical and less about retail. Being further north, their harvest happens earlier. If they waited until the fourth Thursday of November, they’d be harvesting crops in the snow.
Germany has Erntedankfest, which is usually the first Sunday in October.
Japan has Labor Thanksgiving Day on November 23rd every year, regardless of what day of the week it is. It’s a national holiday focused on labor and production, which evolved from an ancient rice harvest festival.
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The math behind the calendar
If you're a data nerd, the "fourth Thursday" rule is actually a fascinating bit of cyclical math.
The 28th of November is the latest possible date for Thanksgiving. This happens when the month starts on a Friday. When that occurs, you get a very short run-up to Christmas.
Conversely, when November starts on a Thursday, Thanksgiving is on the 22nd. This gives you the longest possible "holiday season."
These shifts change everything from how much retailers earn to how long college kids get for their fall break.
Actionable steps for your holiday planning
Stop guessing. Mark your calendar for the fourth Thursday through the year 2030 right now.
If you are hosting, remember that the "earlier" Thanksgivings (like November 22nd or 23rd) mean you have less time to prep after Halloween. It sneaks up on you.
- Check the date for the current year immediately to avoid the "third Thursday" trap.
- Book flights at least 90 days out if you’re traveling, specifically targeting that Wednesday-Sunday window.
- Order your fresh turkey by the first week of November.
- Coordinate with family who might still be confused by the date, especially the older generation who might have lived through the "Franksgiving" era or simply lose track of the weeks.
The confusion over whether Thanksgiving is the third Thursday is a relic of a strange time in American history when even the calendar was a political battleground. Now, the law is clear. It’s the fourth Thursday. Period.
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Plan accordingly, keep your grocery list handy, and maybe give a small nod of thanks that you don't live in 1939 Texas, trying to figure out which of the two Thanksgivings you’re supposed to show up for.