When is Thanksgiving 2023? Everything to know on the date and history (2024)

Turkey Day is quickly approaching and if you're wondering, "What day is Thanksgiving this year?" Don't worry, you've still got time to make plans and, better yet, thaw the turkey.

Whether your Turkey Day tradition is to spend the annual holiday with relatives or host Friendsgiving for all your pals, you're probably wondering when Thanksgiving is so you can get all the details squared away in advance of the big day.

Fortunately, we've got everything you need to know on when the holiday lands in 2023. We've also got some interesting facts on why we gather with friends and family to feast on pumpkin pie and stuffing each November.

Ahead, you'll also find some fascinating Thanksgiving trivia on everything from where the Pilgrims first landed in America (Spoiler: it wasn't Plymouth Rock) to which U.S. president declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, giving most everybody a day off in order to eat too much food, then sleep it off while watching movies on the couch.

Dare we say, we've got a cornucopia of fun and useful information, right down to what days Black Friday and Cyber Monday fall on this year. Because, well, shopping.

Whatever you've come here for, we've got it, which means you can put a little time back in the Thanksgiving bank for all the fun Turkey Day activities coming up. And that's something to be thankful for.

What day is Thanksgiving on in 2023?

First things first. Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday in November. So, given that there are five weeks in November, the holiday can sometimes arrive as early as November 22, or as late as November 28.

In 2023, Thanksgiving Day is on Thursday, November 23.

Last year, Thanksgiving was on November 24 and in 2024, it'll be a bit later than usual, landing on November 28. So heads up shoppers: Next year there will be fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas to get all your holiday shopping completed.

Why is Thanksgiving celebrated on a Thursday?

More than 230 years ago, President George Washington designated November 26 as a day of National Thanksgiving in 1789.

But long before then, American colonists had been gathering to celebrate the bounty reaped from their annual harvest with the first recorded Thanksgiving occurring in 1621.

However, according to the Washington Post, it may have even been earlier than that, with historians suggesting that settlers put on a Thanksgiving feast as early as 1565.

While November 26 was initial date of the holiday, in October of 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation, designating the last Thursdayin November as a day to observe Thanksgiving.

The edict stuck until 1939, when the last Thursday in November happened to coincide with the last day of the month, dramatically shortening the Christmas shopping season and potentially impacting the nation's economic recovery from the Great Depression.

So, in 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt signed a resolution declaring the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving and the decree still stands today.

Interesting history facts about Thanksgiving

When it comes to Thanksgiving history, most people have the basics down, like the Pilgrims came to America aboard the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock.

Except that's not quite what happened. Though the early settlers did ultimately end up at Plymouth Rock, their first stop was along Cape Cod in Provincetown in 1620, according to the Boston Globe. After staying for more than five weeks, they determined the sandy terrain wasn't ideal for planting crops, and moved on.

The first recorded Thanksgiving between the settlers and Native Americans happened a year later, but unlike the table-sprawling turkey feasts held by Americans each year, they likely dined on venison, goose, duck, fish, and a porridge made from corn.

Wondering which Native American tribe early Americans shared that first three-day feast with? Or what about how many Pilgrims attended the celebration?

We've got the answers to those and many other fascinating Thanksgiving trivia questions right here.

When is Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2023?

Now that you know when Thanksgiving is this year, naturally you might be curious to know when Black Friday and Cyber Monday are to ensure you're ready to score all the good deals before they're gone.

So, without further ado, here are the dates:

In 2023, Black Friday is Friday, November 24 and Cyber Monday falls on Monday, November 27.