The last couple of years, Thanksgiving looked different for many families, with large gatherings discouraged and travel made more difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade was also scaled-down in those years, with fewer marchers and in-person spectators. Before the pandemic, many retailers kickstarted their Black Friday deals a day early by opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day. In 2020 and 2021, however, some major stores decided to change course and remain closed on the holiday to limit crowds and give employees a chance to celebrate at home with their families. Staying closed on Thanksgiving Day may become an ongoing tradition: major retailers including Target and Walmart have announced that they will once again remain closed on Thanksgiving Day in 2022. Now, let’s answer some of your most common questions about the holiday.
When is Thanksgiving 2022?
Thanksgiving is on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022.
Has Thanksgiving always fallen on the fourth Thursday of November?
No—and in fact, the official date of Thanksgiving has changed a lot over the years. President George Washington declared Nov. 26, 1789, as a “Day of Publick Thanksgiving,” and in the years following, different presidents issued their own Thanksgiving Proclamations. During those early years, Thanksgiving was celebrated on different dates and even months, according to the National Archives. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation ordering Thanksgiving to take place on the last Thursday of every month. The regular date of Thanksgiving changed yet again in 1939, when Thanksgiving happened to fall on the last day of November. As the country continued its economic recovery following the Great Depression, Roosevelt worried that a late Thanksgiving would reduce the number of shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So he issued his own Thanksgiving proclamation, which moved the holiday to the second-to-last Thursday of November. However, 16 states would not accept this change, and for a few years, some states celebrated Thanksgiving on the second-to-last Thursday, while others continued celebrating it a week later, on the last Thursday of the month. Finally, to end the disagreement, Congress drafted a resolution establishing Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of November. President Roosevelt signed the resolution in 1941, and ever since then, the Federal Thanksgiving Day holiday has taken place on the fourth Thursday of November.
When will the Thanksgiving 2022 parade take place?
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST. It will air on NBC and stream from Peacock from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in all time zones. “Get ready to celebrate the start of the holiday season with giant balloons, elaborate floats & loads of epic entertainment,” according to the event website. Next up, check out 50 quotes on gratitude.
