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7 notable Thanksgiving traditions: Pardoning a turkey, church services and ‘Friendsgiving’

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Twitter

1. The date

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America | Public Domain

Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday in November. However, this wasn't always the case.

In the early years of independence, presidents would issue proclamations for days of Thanksgiving, with such observances occurring at various times of the year.

Abraham Lincoln is credited with beginning the tradition of holding Thanksgiving in November when he issued a proclamation in 1863. When Thanksgiving became a federal holiday in 1870, it was typically celebrated on the last Thursday in November.

During the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt attempted to move the holiday earlier in November, prompting considerable confusion and backlash from the public.

In 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed a joint resolution setting the date of Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November, where it remains.

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