When Is Thanksgiving 2026? Nov. 26, the Same Date as Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, Nov. 26. Black Friday follows on Nov. 27, and the long weekend runs through Sunday, Nov. 29.

Why that date? U.S. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November, a rule Congress set in 1941. Because the day of the week is fixed, the calendar date moves from year to year, always landing between Nov. 22 and Nov. 28.

The date also has history behind it. President George Washington proclaimed Nov. 26, 1789, as a day of public thanksgiving, acknowledging God's providence in the birth of the new nation. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln called for "a day of thanksgiving and praise," and the first national observance took place on Nov. 26. That is the same date Thanksgiving falls on this year.

How did the fourth Thursday become the rule? In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week to lengthen the Christmas shopping season. The change was unpopular, and many states kept the old date. Congress settled it in 1941 by fixing the fourth Thursday, and Roosevelt signed it into law on Dec. 26, 1941.

Is Thanksgiving the same day in Canada? No. Canada celebrates on the second Monday of October, which was Oct. 12 in 2026.

For many families, the day is also a call to pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 urges believers to give thanks in all circumstances. This year, Advent begins just three days later, on Sunday, Nov. 29.

JubileeCast wishes every family a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving.