Thanksgiving dates for the next 10 years
U.S. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November, so it always falls between November 22 and 28. Canada’s Thanksgiving is earlier, on the second Monday of October.
| Year | Thanksgiving (U.S.) | Black Friday | Canada | From today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 26 | November 27 | October 12 | in 27 days |
| 2027 | November 25 | November 26 | October 11 | in 391 days |
| 2028 | November 23 | November 24 | October 9 | in 755 days |
| 2029 | November 22 | November 23 | October 8 | in 1,119 days |
| 2030 | November 28 | November 29 | October 14 | in 1,490 days |
| 2031 | November 27 | November 28 | October 13 | in 1,854 days |
| 2032 | November 25 | November 26 | October 11 | in 2,218 days |
| 2033 | November 24 | November 25 | October 10 | in 2,582 days |
| 2034 | November 23 | November 24 | October 9 | in 2,946 days |
| 2035 | November 22 | November 23 | October 8 | in 3,310 days |
Why it’s the fourth Thursday
For most of the 1800s each president picked the date. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln set it as the last Thursday of November, and that stuck for 75 years.
In 1939 November had five Thursdays, and Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving a week earlier to give stores a longer holiday shopping season. About half the states refused, so for the next three years the country celebrated on two different dates. Congress settled it with a law that Roosevelt signed on December 26, 1941: from 1942, Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday, whether or not a fifth follows.
That’s why the date moves around. The next time it falls on November 22, the earliest possible date, is 2029; the next on November 28, the latest, is 2030.
When to start thawing the turkey
The USDA’s guidance is to thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator, allowing about a day for every 4 to 5 pounds, and never on the counter. The table uses a day per 4 pounds to leave some margin. A turkey thawed in the fridge keeps for a day or two before cooking, so starting early is safe. Cold water is faster, at about 30 minutes per pound, but the water needs changing every half hour and the bird should be cooked right away. See the USDA’s turkey guide for cooking times.
| Weight | Days in the fridge | Start by | Cold water |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 lb | 2 | Tue, Nov 24 | 4 hours |
| 10 lb | 3 | Mon, Nov 23 | 5 hours |
| 12 lb | 3 | Mon, Nov 23 | 6 hours |
| 14 lb | 4 | Sun, Nov 22 | 7 hours |
| 16 lb | 4 | Sun, Nov 22 | 8 hours |
| 18 lb | 5 | Sat, Nov 21 | 9 hours |
| 20 lb | 5 | Sat, Nov 21 | 10 hours |
| 22 lb | 6 | Fri, Nov 20 | 11 hours |
| 24 lb | 6 | Fri, Nov 20 | 12 hours |
The Thanksgiving long weekend
Thanksgiving Day is a federal holiday, so federal offices, banks, the stock market and the Postal Service close. The Friday after, Black Friday (November 27, 2026), isn’t a federal holiday, but many state governments, schools and employers give it off, making a four-day weekend from November 26 to Nov 29.
The Wednesday before (November 25) and the Sunday after (November 29) are among the busiest travel days of the year, and the Monday after is Cyber Monday (November 30). If you’re counting working days around the holiday, the business days calculator skips it for you.