Thanksgiving is celebrated in both the United States and Canada — but on different dates and with subtly different traditions. In 2026:
- US Thanksgiving: Thursday, 26 November 2026
- Canadian Thanksgiving: Monday, 12 October 2026
Both holidays trace back to harvest celebrations and gratitude rituals, but they evolved separately. Here's everything you need to know about both.
Quick comparison
| Field | USA | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Date 2026 | Thu, 26 November | Mon, 12 October |
| Day of week | Always Thursday | Always Monday |
| Date rule | 4th Thursday of November | 2nd Monday of October |
| Established | 1863 (Lincoln); 1941 (current) | 1957 (current) |
| Long weekend | 4 days (Thu-Sun) | 3 days (Sat-Mon) |
| Iconic food | Roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry, pumpkin pie | Roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry, pumpkin pie (similar) |
| Football tradition | NFL games, Detroit Lions | CFL Thanksgiving Day Classic |
| Parade tradition | Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade | Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest parade |
US Thanksgiving — Thursday, 26 November 2026
The most American of holidays. Origins traced to the 1621 Plymouth feast between English Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people, though the modern holiday was largely created in the 19th century.
Historical timeline
- 1621 — First Plymouth Thanksgiving (3-day harvest festival)
- 1789 — George Washington proclaims first national Thanksgiving
- 1863 — Abraham Lincoln makes it an annual federal holiday (last Thursday of November)
- 1941 — Congress sets it permanently as the 4th Thursday of November (because some Novembers have 5 Thursdays — earlier date helps retail/shopping)
The 4-day weekend
Thanksgiving creates the longest standard US holiday weekend:
- Thu 26 Nov — Thanksgiving Day
- Fri 27 Nov — Black Friday (not federal holiday, but most workers off)
- Sat 28 Nov — Small Business Saturday
- Sun 29 Nov — football and travel back
Many employers also give Wednesday afternoon off — creating effectively a 4.5-day weekend.
Black Friday — November 27, 2026
The day after Thanksgiving has become the unofficial start of the US Christmas shopping season. Origin: Philadelphia police in the 1960s called the day "Black Friday" because of heavy traffic and chaos.
Modern Black Friday spans:
- Online sales starting Thanksgiving evening
- Doorbusters at physical stores (less common post-pandemic)
- Cyber Monday (30 November 2026) — online-only follow-up
Macy's Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has run in New York since 1924. ~3.5 million in-person spectators along the 4-km route in Manhattan; ~50 million TV viewers.
Famous balloon characters: SpongeBob, Snoopy, Goku, Astronaut Snoopy, Bluey (debut 2024), Spider-Man, Pikachu.
Football
The NFL holds three games on Thanksgiving Day:
- Detroit Lions home game (since 1934)
- Dallas Cowboys home game (since 1966)
- Prime-time game (rotating teams, since 2006)
This year's matchups will be announced in the spring.
Typical menu
- Roast turkey — 88% of US households per Butterball survey
- Stuffing/dressing — bread-based, regional variations
- Cranberry sauce — fresh or canned
- Mashed potatoes + gravy
- Sweet potato casserole — often with marshmallow topping
- Green bean casserole
- Pumpkin pie — the iconic dessert
- Pecan pie — Southern favorite
Canadian Thanksgiving — Monday, 12 October 2026
Canada's Thanksgiving predates American Thanksgiving — Sir Martin Frobisher held a thanksgiving feast in 1578 (43 years before Plymouth) after surviving a Northwest Passage journey. But the modern Canadian holiday evolved separately.
Historical timeline
- 1578 — Frobisher feast in Newfoundland
- 1872 — First national Thanksgiving (April, marking Prince Edward's recovery from illness)
- 1879 — Annual observance (date varied)
- 1957 — Permanent date set as the 2nd Monday of October
Why October?
The earlier date matches Canada's harvest season — northern climate means harvest finishes earlier than in the US south. Also keeps it separate from American Thanksgiving for distinctness.
The 3-day weekend
- Sat 10 Oct — travel and prep
- Sun 11 Oct — main family feast (some families) or Thanksgiving service
- Mon 12 Oct — Thanksgiving Day (public holiday) — main feast for others
Province-specific notes
Canadian Thanksgiving is a federal holiday but not a statutory holiday in all provinces:
- Mandatory in: BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC (de facto), NB, PE, YT, NT, NU
- Optional in: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia
- Quebec doesn't observe as Action de grâce universally — varies by employer
Canadian traditions
Mostly similar to US — turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie. Some unique elements:
- Maple syrup more prominent in desserts
- Tourtière (Quebec) — meat pie sometimes featured
- Butter tarts — Canadian-specific dessert
- CFL Thanksgiving Day Classic — Canadian Football League's signature game
- Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest — Canada's largest Oktoberfest peaks around Thanksgiving
Why the difference?
Harvest timing. Canada's harvest finishes ~1.5 months earlier than the US. A November Thanksgiving in Canada would fall after the harvest was long over.
Political distinctness. When Canada was establishing its own national identity post-Confederation (1867), an October Thanksgiving distinguished it from the US holiday.
Climate. October weather in Canada is more conducive to outdoor celebrations and travel than November.
Other Thanksgiving-style holidays worldwide
- Liberia — first Thursday of November (US-style)
- Grenada — 25 October (commemorates US 1983 invasion)
- Netherlands — Leiden's Thanksgiving service first Wednesday of October
- Norfolk Island (Australia) — last Wednesday of November
- Japan — Labor Thanksgiving Day, 23 November (different origin)
- Korea — Chuseok — mid-autumn harvest festival
- Germany — Erntedankfest — first Sunday of October
Travel tips
US Thanksgiving is the busiest travel period of the year in America. ~55 million Americans travel >50 miles. Flight bookings start filling in September. Airports are most chaotic Wednesday before and Sunday after.
Canadian Thanksgiving is less travel-heavy but still notable. Car traffic peaks Sunday on highways into rural areas as families return home.
Greetings
- English: Happy Thanksgiving
- French (Canada): Joyeuse Action de Grâces
- Spanish: Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias
Related references
- USA 2026 holidays
- Canada 2026 holidays
- November 2026 calendar
- October 2026 calendar
- Thanksgiving holiday detail
- Black Friday detail
US Thanksgiving date is fixed by federal law as the 4th Thursday. Canadian Thanksgiving is the 2nd Monday of October by federal regulation but provincial observance varies.