2026 Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November and is the biggest family holiday in the United States. It traces back to the 1621 harvest feast shared by the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag, and President Lincoln made it a national holiday in 1863. Families travel across the country — the Wednesday before is the busiest travel day of the year — to share a dinner of roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Morning traditions include the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York and NFL football games, and many people volunteer at food banks or run a 'turkey trot' race. The following day is Black Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season. This countdown ticks to midnight Eastern Time on Thanksgiving Day.