Why We Celebrate Thanksgiving on the Fourth Thursday in November | Footnote to History
Did you know that Thanksgiving used to be the last Thursday in November? Learn why it changed in 1939, and how the public reacted.
By John Vara|Nov 12 2021|
Why We Celebrate Thanksgiving on the Fourth Thursday of November
Photo Credit: Marjory Collins [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsWhy do we celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November?
The country was still emerging from the Depression when Franklin D. Roosevelt announced, in the summer of 1939, that he was moving the Thanksgiving holiday from the last Thursday in November to the Thursday preceding it. In purely economic terms, it seemed to make sense. Moving the holiday forward a week, the president explained, would enable retailers to sell more goods before Christmas and provide a longer period of temporary work for the unemployed.
In practice, however, the plan was unpopular from the beginning. College and high school football coaches were incensed to learn their Thanksgiving Day games, long ago scheduled for November 30th would now fall on an ordinary working day. The Plymouth, Massachusetts, board of selectmen sent an angry letter of protest to Roosevelt, and board chairman James Frazier announced that Plymouth would not recognize the revised date. “It is a religious holiday,” he said, “and the president has no right to change it for commercial interests.” One Republican senator acidly suggested that the president abolish winter.
By late November, the country found itself divided along party lines. All six New England states, and 17 others, spurned the early Thanksgiving. Of the remainder, 22 — including most of those with Democratic governors — fell in line behind the president. Colorado, Mississippi, and Texas tactfully celebrated both dates.
The following year, Roosevelt announced that Thanksgiving would again be celebrated a week in advance of the traditional date. In May of 1941, however, he surprised critics by conceding that the expected surge in business had not materialized in either of the two previous years. After Thanksgiving of 1941, he declared the holiday would revert to the original date. In December 1941, Congress passed a resolution permanently fixing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.
Excerpt from “’The New Deal on Thanksgiving,” Yankee, November 1995.
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I was born on Thanksgiving Day, 29 Nov. 1934. Never again has my birthday fallen on Thanksgiving. Wouldn’t all those who proposed keeping the day celebrated on the last Thursday of November be shocked to see Christmas decorations being displayed in stores right after Halloween? I would like to see Blue Laws reinstated so that families spend more time together. You can tell this is an old gal talking.
I would like to see the Blue Laws reinstated again too and I am 55. :o)
Since there is precident for it why don’t we move trick or treat to the first Saturday in October so it’s a bit warmer and children will have a day to enjoy without school conflicts as well.
I live in SC now. The first week of October is still summer down here. Let’s leave well enough alone. Celebrate the holidays when they are supposed to celebrated. We don’t celebrate the 4th of July on the first because it is convenient, do we?
Great article. Happy Birthday Lois!
I agree with bringing back the Blue Laws. Everything does not have to be about money. Bring back Sunday….church service, family gathering together for a nice dinner and spending the day together.
OMG. Blue Laws? Surely a majority of readers see how/why this discriminates? A friendly reminder to all people who think the world revolves around their version of christianity – news flash: the world no longer revolves around one religion. Maybe it is time for an article on Haym Salomon. Before the naysayers attack: I am decadent from both Salomon’s kin, and from the Winthrop expedition and am over 65.
I would like to see Thanksgiving moved back to when the Pilgrims celebrated it; somewhere between Columbus Day and the beginning of November (first frost defining). It would make good economic sense because October is the lowest air travel month of the year, Christmas retail is now out in October anyway, and the last 5 weeks of the year are considered a weak GDP time because of holiday preparations/parties etc. Also, since Columbus did not discover America, more emphasis would be placed on Veteran’s Day as a venerated day and there would not be such a mad rush at the end of the year to do shopping and people would enjoy the holiday season more.
I think Thanksgiving is far too close to Christmas. I would prefer October.
My mother liked FDR, but, when his change meant that Thanksgiving could now fall on HER birthday, November 23rd, she was livid! How dare he make her spend her BIRTHDAY, slaving away in the kitchen!
I see no reason not to celebrate Thanksgiving in what was Columbus Day. In Canada that is when they celebrate. I believe that in the beginning the day was to celebrate the harvest and to give thanksgiving for it. So where is there a problem to change the date. It would make getting ready for Christmas easier.