How Long Ago Was Thanksgiving Proclaimed a National Holiday? The Surprising History Behind Turkey Day

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Let’s face it—Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that feels like it’s been around forever. I mean, we all grow up with the story of Pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a harvest feast in 1621, right? But here’s the kicker: that first feast wasn’t even called Thanksgiving, and it definitely wasn’t a national holiday. So how long ago did Thanksgiving actually become an official, nationwide celebration? The answer might surprise you. It’s not as old as you’d think—but it’s also not super recent. Let’s break it down.

Thanksgiving was proclaimed a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. That means as of 2025, it’s been 162 years since the first official, federally recognized Thanksgiving. But wait—there’s a lot more to the story. Before Lincoln, different states and colonies had their own Thanksgiving days, usually declared by governors or local leaders. Some folks celebrated it in October, others in November, and some even held multiple Thanksgivings in a single year. It was a total mess.

The credit for pushing a unified national Thanksgiving goes to a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale. You might know her as the author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” but she was also a savvy magazine editor who spent decades writing letters to presidents, governors, and other big shots. Her big goal? Making Thanksgiving a permanent, nationwide holiday that would bring the country together. She finally got her wish when Lincoln, in the middle of the Civil War, issued a proclamation on October 3, 1863, setting aside the last Thursday of November as a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise.”

So why did Lincoln do it? Partly because Hale had been lobbying for 17 years straight, but also because the nation was torn apart by war. Lincoln saw Thanksgiving as a way to heal and unite people—even if only for a day. His proclamation asked Americans to “implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation.” Pretty heavy stuff, right?

But here’s the thing: even after Lincoln’s proclamation, Thanksgiving wasn’t an official federal holiday in the way we think of today. It was more of an annual tradition that presidents kept up, but there was no law on the books making it a paid, legal holiday for all federal workers. That didn’t happen until 1941, when Congress passed a law (signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt) to fix Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November. So technically, the date itself was locked in just 84 years ago. But the original proclamation? That’s 162 years back in the rearview mirror.

I know some of you are probably wondering, “Wait, what about the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621? That’s like 400 years ago!” Yeah, that feast happened, but it wasn’t a holiday. It was just a three-day harvest celebration between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. Nobody called it Thanksgiving at the time, and it definitely wasn’t repeated annually until much later. So don’t let those grade-school pageants fool you—the official national holiday didn’t start until the 1860s.

Another fun fact: George Washington actually issued a Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789, but it was a one-time thing, not an annual tradition. Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, thought Thanksgiving proclamations were a bad idea and refused to do them. So the holiday’s path to national status was anything but smooth.

Questions related to how long ago was Thanksgiving proclaimed a national holiday

One common question I get is: “Why did it take so long for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday?” Great question. Part of the reason is that early America had a strong separation of church and state vibes. Some people thought a national day of thanks was too religious for the government to declare. Others worried it would favor one region over another. Plus, with no modern communication or transportation, a single holiday date was hard to enforce. Sarah Josepha Hale really had to grind for decades to make it happen.

Another big question: “Was Thanksgiving always on a Thursday?” Surprisingly, yes—well, mostly. Lincoln set it as the last Thursday in November, and that stuck until the 1930s. In 1939, FDR moved Thanksgiving up a week to try to boost holiday shopping during the Great Depression. That caused a huge uproar—people called it “Franksgiving.” But after a couple years of confusion, Congress stepped in and made it the fourth Thursday, which is what we have today. So the Thursday tradition goes back to Lincoln’s proclamation, even if the exact Thursday shifted a bit.

People also ask: “How long ago was Thanksgiving declared a permanent federal holiday?” That’s the 1941 law I mentioned—84 years ago. Before that, it was technically a yearly declaration by the president. So the holiday’s legal backbone is actually younger than Social Security and older than the atomic bomb. Crazy to think about, right?

And lastly, a fun one: “Were there any Thanksgiving celebrations before Lincoln?” Yes, tons. States like New York had their own Thanksgiving days as early as 1817. But they weren’t synchronized. In fact, up until the 1850s, you could travel from one state to another and find Thanksgiving celebrated on a totally different date. That’s exactly what Sarah Josepha Hale wanted to fix—she imagined a single, unifying day for all Americans. And she succeeded, even if it took a civil war to make it happen.

So to sum it all up: Thanksgiving was proclaimed a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, which is 162 years ago. The date was legally finalized in 1941, which is 84 years ago. And the original harvest feast that sparked the tradition? That was 404 years ago. But the official holiday as we know it? Just over a century and a half.

I hope this article helps you fully understand the timeline of how long ago Thanksgiving was proclaimed a national holiday. It’s one of those stories where persistence, a bit of wartime politics, and a whole lot of letter-writing came together to create a beloved American tradition. If you have more questions about Thanksgiving or any other public holidays, feel free to reach out. Your friendly Holiday Little Assistant is always here to help. Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

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