After wrapping up Halloween and putting the spooky decoration back in the boxes, many gear up for the Christmas spirit and tune in to Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You.
But hold your horses, as there is an equally, if not more, important holiday to feed yourself and be thankful for the (almost) year you had.
Ahead of occupying yourself with the gift shopping, Thanksgiving is set to be observed first, giving families a chance to reunite for gratitude, dining and celebration.
For many American citizens, the holiday also offers a four-day weekend.
What is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a national holiday, mainly commemorated in the US and Canada, centred around togetherness and family.
In the US, it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, in honour of the harvest feast of 1621.
Historically narrated by the white pilgrims, the story is about how the colonists shared a meal with the indigenous Wampanoag people to give thanks for a successful fall harvest.
This lore, however, is not completely accurate. As per USA Today, members of the Wampanoag were not formally invited as a gesture of good grace.
Instead, the pilgrims became rowdy at their feast and began shooting into the air. Fearing violence, Wampanoag warriors came to identify the commotion, and upon observing the celebration, they decided to join in.
When is Thanksgiving in 2025?
Thanksgiving in 2025 is on Thursday, November 27. The special celebration always occurs on the fourth Thursday in November.
How do the US citizens mark Thanksgiving now?
In the present, Thanksgiving is marked by family gatherings, lavish dinners featuring turkey, football games and parades.
While for people who can't join their families due to out-of-state studies and jobs, they find themselves celebrating Friendsgiving, a blend of "friend" and "Thanksgiving", to express their gratitude as they mark the occasion away from home.
When did Thanksgiving become a national holiday?
President Abraham Lincoln declared a national Thanksgiving holiday in 1863, according to the National Archives.
It was a gesture, say historians, meant to reconcile a deeply divided country in the midst of the Civil War.
The final Thursday of November was Thanksgiving until 1939, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt solidified it as the fourth Thursday, hoping to increase retail sales during the Great Depression.
