Thanksgiving Day 2024 in the USA: Date, Traditions, and Federal Holiday Status

Thanksgiving Day 2024 in the USA falls on November 28. Discover its federal holiday status, history, and traditions celebrated across the country.

shivani Poli November 11, 2024

180 3 minutes read

Thanksgiving Day 2024 in the USA: Date, Federal Holiday Status, History, and Traditions Celebrated Across the Country

One of the most precious holidays of the United States, where the truth is given a mix of thanks, family reuniting, and tasteful food, is Thanksgiving Day. This marks the time when people rethink the felicity and praise for all the bounties at hand during the course of the year. But when is Thanksgiving in 2024? Is it a federal holiday? Well, let’s unpack for you:

Thanksgiving Day 2024: Date
Thanksgiving Day is placed on the fourth Thursday of November each year. This year, in 2024, it occurs on a Thursday, November 28. The actual tradition of Thanksgiving taking place on this Thursday was set by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941, so there’s a steady timeline that people in America have adhered to since then.

Is Thanksgiving a Federal Holiday?
Thanksgiving Day is indeed one of the federal holidays in the United States. Ever since then, Thanksgiving became a federal holiday when President Abraham Lincoln was moved to declare a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise” in the midst of the Civil War. It was an appeal to be thankful during the country’s most despairing days and became a central part of American culture.

Being a federal holiday, most offices of the federal government are shut down, and most schools, businesses, and other organizations take the day off. Further, many states also adhere to federal guidelines that ensure public employees and most private sector workers get the day off.

History and Origins of Thanksgiving
An event tracing way back into America’s history, from as far back as 1621, where the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans gathered to attend a harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts-the celebration that is popularly known to many as the “First Thanksgiving,” though it was not referred to as such at the time. It had been a difficult year since the Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, and by working with the Native Americans, they were able to farm and harvest a crop.

Though tradition dates the 1621 feast as the inception of Thanksgiving, it wasn’t until the 19th century that Thanksgiving became the annual national holiday. The message of President Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation was to unite the nation and give thanks at such a desperate hour; this is a residual element of modern-day Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Traditions in the USA

Turkey Day is a definition of family gathering, a mouth-watering meal, and long-cherished traditions in America. Centered at most Thanksgiving gatherings is a big meal usually including roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. It is this time of the year when families and friends come together and sometimes take long flights, streams, and roads to spend this special day.

In addition to the parades and parades, it is thought that the most popular ones are Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade of New York. It is this parade that has become the traditional Thanksgiving event broadcasted to millions around the country through the gigantic balloons and floats accompanied by marching bands.

Thanksgiving Holiday also marks the start of the informal holiday shopping season with the day after turned into Black Friday. In all retail stores there take place the major sales and deals.

Thanksgiving Day in 2024 falls on Thursday, November 28. Thanksgiving Day is one of the federally declared holidays in the United States of America. On this day, Americans celebrate their union with family members, offer thanks to God for all their good fortune, and engage in festivity by relishing traditional food and fun activities. Such importance attached to this holiday makes Thanksgiving Day have the maximum amount of historical significance while still maintaining a high position in the hearts of the people of the United States.

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