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FILE-A photo of Thanksgiving dinner on a table. (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

Thanksgiving is a day when families across the country spend time together while enjoying a hearty meal consisting of a turkey with plenty of side dishes.

But as people start planning their meals and shopping, they may notice that the holiday falls later in November this year.

When is Thanksgiving this year?

Thanksgiving takes place on November 28, 2024. In 2023, the day was celebrated on November 23, and it was November 24 in 2022, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Why is Thanksgiving late this year?

This year, Thanksgiving is on the latest possible date. Typically, the holiday occurs on the fourth Thursday in November, but dates may change depending on leap years. And a leap year occurred in 2024, USA Today reported.

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A Thanksgiving on November 28 occurs approximately every five to six years, meaning the next time the holiday falls on November 28 will be in 2030.

Why is Thanksgiving celebrated on Thursday?

President George Washington issued a proclamation designating Thursday, November 26, 1789, as “Public Thanksgiving Day” – the first time Thanksgiving was celebrated under the new Constitution, according to the National Archives.

Other presidents issued Thanksgiving proclamations, but the dates and months of celebrations differed. But President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation stated that Thanksgiving was regularly celebrated each year on the last Thursday in November.

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The National Archives noted that Congress later decided to set a fixed date for this holiday. On October 6, 1941, the House passed a joint resolution declaring the last Thursday in November a legal day of Thanksgiving. However, the Senate amended the resolution fixing this holiday on the fourth Thursday, taking into account certain years when November has five Thursdays.

Additionally, the House agreed to the amendment, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the resolution on December 26, 1941, making the fourth Thursday in November the federal Thanksgiving holiday.