How Thanksgiving became a national holiday

Thanksgiving became a federal holiday fixed on the fourth Thursday of November following a 1941 law signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, according to the National Archives. Prior to this legislation, the holiday’s date varied from year to year depending on annual presidential proclamations, the Library of Congress notes.

Early colonial and presidential proclamations

Before the United States was formed, colonial governments declared occasional days of thanksgiving, such as a 1721 proclamation by the governor of Connecticut, according to the Library of Congress. During the American Revolution, George Washington issued general orders in 1777 setting aside a day for solemn thanksgiving and praise.

After the new Constitution was adopted, the first Congress asked the President to recommend a day of thanksgiving. On Oct. 3, 1789, Washington issued a proclamation naming Thursday, Nov. 26, 1789, as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, the National Archives says. Later presidents, including James Madison, proclaimed thanksgiving days in various months, with celebrations occurring in February 1795 and April 1815.

Establishment as a regular November holiday

On Oct. 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. Following Lincoln’s death, President Andrew Johnson initially designated the first Thursday in December, but he chose the last Thursday in November for the remainder of his presidency, according to the National Archives.

In 1870, Congress passed legislation establishing Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Independence Day as holidays within the District of Columbia. While the other holidays in the legislation had fixed dates, the President was given discretion to set the date for Thanksgiving. For decades, presidents generally followed tradition and declared the last Thursday of November as the holiday.

The Great Depression and date changes

During the Great Depression, the tradition of observing Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November became a matter of debate. In 1933, the month had five Thursdays, placing the holiday on Nov. 30 and leaving about 20 shopping days until Christmas. Large business owners lobbied President Roosevelt to move the holiday one week earlier to prevent dampening economic recovery, but he decided to keep the traditional date, the National Archives states.

When the calendar resulted in five Thursdays again in 1939, Roosevelt issued a proclamation moving the holiday to the second-to-last Thursday of November. The change was intended to extend the Christmas shopping season, according to the Library of Congress.

The 1939 change caused confusion and public outcry. While 32 states issued similar proclamations to move the date, 16 states refused and observed the holiday on the last Thursday of the month, resulting in a divided Thanksgiving celebration across the country.

Finalizing the federal holiday

To resolve the confusion, Congress took action to set a fixed date for the holiday. On Oct. 6, 1941, the House of Representatives approved a joint resolution that would have made the final Thursday of November the official Thanksgiving Day.

The Senate adjusted the measure to establish the holiday on the fourth Thursday of November, accommodating years when November contains five Thursdays. Representatives accepted this change, and President Roosevelt approved the final measure on Dec. 26, 1941. The law took effect the following year, ensuring a unified national celebration, the National Archives notes.

White House turkey traditions

In the years following the establishment of the fixed holiday, new customs emerged at the White House. In 1947, President Harry S. Truman accepted a live bird from the Poultry and Egg National Board, marking the first such presentation.

Initially, the presented birds were intended for the Thanksgiving meal, with turkeys during the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson administrations wearing signs reading “Good Eating Mr. President.” On Nov. 14, 1989, President George Bush officially granted a presidential pardon to a turkey.