Thanksgiving Day is one of the most important holidays in the United States. In fact, for some families it becomes even more important than Christmas. By tradition, Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday of November, a date that brings millions of families together around the table to share, give thanks, and keep alive a celebration with more than four centuries of history. In 2025, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on Thursday, November 27. How Thanksgiving Day is celebrated today Thanksgiving Day is a time for family gatherings, so in the days leading up to it, major airports in the United States are overwhelmed. Millions of people travel across the country to share a dinner featuring roast turkey, the main dish.

Besides the food, the day is full of traditions: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, football games, charity events, and community dinners are essential parts of the day.

It also marks the official start of the holiday season, as the following day is Black Friday, the big sales event in physical and online stores.

Origin of Thanksgiving

The first Thanksgiving dates back to 1621, when English colonists settled in Plymouth (present-day Massachusetts) organized a large meal with the Wampanoag Native Americans to give thanks for the harvest after a devastating winter.

For three days they shared foods such as turkey, pumpkins, corn, and dried fruit, beginning a custom that symbolizes gratitude and togetherness.

More than a century later, in In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a national holiday. However, it wasn't until 1863, during Abraham Lincoln's presidency, that it was officially established as the last Thursday of November. Finally, in 1941, the United States Congress passed a law declaring that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, a date that remains to this day.