When did Thanksgiving become a holiday?

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Question:

When did Thanksgiving become a holiday?

Answer:

Thanksgiving was declared a regular holiday on December 26, 1941.

How we got that answer:

The first Thanksgiving, in 1621, lasted three days. After that it was not officially celebrated until 1789, when President George Washington declared Thursday, November 26, 1789 a “Day of Publick Thanksgivin”. Thanksgiving was celebrated haphazardly until President Lincoln proclaimed it to be the last Thursday of November on October 3, 1863. This practice continued until 1939, when the last Thursday was also the last day of the month. For a few years, some states celebrated a week later than the rest of the country. Finally, Congress issued a joint resolution to make Thanksgiving an annual holiday on the fourth Thursday of November, which President Franklin Delano Roosevelt then signed into law.

To read more about the establishment of Thanksgiving, you can go to the National Archives website at: http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/thanksgiving/

You can also find historical information through our many research databases, such as Facts on File’s American History Online.

To access American History Online:

1. Start at http://www.heightslibrary.org
2. Click on the Do Research link
3. [If at home, enter your library card number and PIN when prompted]
4. Use the Quick Jump to find American History Online
5. Type “Thanksgiving” into the Search box

Tagged as: government, history, holiday