How Many Days Until Thanksgiving?
When is Thanksgiving?
US Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November, so it lands between November 22 and 28.
Thanksgiving is a US federal holiday centered on a family meal, usually turkey, and giving thanks for the year's harvest. President Lincoln made it a national holiday in 1863, and Congress fixed it to the fourth Thursday of November in 1941. Canada celebrates its own Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October.
Thanksgiving dates by year
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 26, 2026 | Thursday |
| 2027 | November 25, 2027 | Thursday |
| 2028 | November 23, 2028 | Thursday |
| 2029 | November 22, 2029 | Thursday |
| 2030 | November 28, 2030 | Thursday |
| 2031 | November 27, 2031 | Thursday |
| 2032 | November 25, 2032 | Thursday |
The story behind Thanksgiving
The holiday traces back to a 1621 harvest feast shared by the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag people. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor who wrote "Mary Had a Little Lamb", campaigned for years to make it national, and Lincoln proclaimed it during the Civil War.
It's the busiest travel period of the year in the US, so flights and road trips around the Wednesday before and the Sunday after book up early.
Thanksgiving week 2026 at a glance
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, November 25, 2026 | Holiday travel peaks; many schools and colleges close for the break |
| Thursday, November 26, 2026 | Thanksgiving Day: federal holiday. Banks, post offices and US stock markets are closed. The Macy's parade runs in New York in the morning and NFL games fill the afternoon |
| Friday, November 27, 2026 | Black Friday: not a federal holiday, but many employers and schools give the day off. US stock markets close early, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern |
| Saturday, November 28, 2026 | Small Business Saturday, a shop-local day started in 2010 |
| Sunday, November 29, 2026 | Return travel; the Sunday after Thanksgiving is often one of the busiest days of the year at US airports |
| Monday, November 30, 2026 | Cyber Monday online sales |
When is Thanksgiving break 2026?
Most US school districts close from Wednesday, November 25, 2026 or Thursday, November 26, 2026 through Sunday, November 29, 2026. Some districts and many colleges take the whole week off, from Monday, November 23, 2026.
Break dates are set locally, so check your district's or college's academic calendar before booking travel.
Thanksgiving in Canada
Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October, about six weeks before the US holiday. The date is Monday, October 12, 2026 in 2026 and Monday, October 11, 2027 in 2027. The countdown on this page is for US Thanksgiving.
Planning time off around Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving 2026 falls on a Thursday. Taking the Friday after off as well turns it into a four-day break for one day of leave.
Thanksgiving 2027 falls on a Thursday. Taking the Friday after off as well turns it into a four-day break for one day of leave.
Counting down to something else?
Use the days until any date calculator, or set a live countdown timer for a birthday, exam, wedding, or trip.