Thanksgiving Countdown

About the Thanksgiving countdown

How many days until Thanksgiving? This page shows it live: days, hours, minutes and seconds until Thanksgiving Day, on the clock of your own device. It works out the date by itself, so there is nothing to set.

It counts to US Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday of November) or, if you choose, Canadian Thanksgiving (the second Monday of October). Autumn leaves fall across the board, and a line underneath says how many sleeps are left — the number children ask for.

Features

• Live countdown — days, hours, minutes and seconds, updated every second
• US or Canadian Thanksgiving — the date is worked out for every year
• Sleeps — how many nights are left before Thanksgiving morning
• Dates for three years — this year's, next year's and the year after, with the weekday
• Falling leaves — red, orange and yellow, in the colours of each style (you can turn them off)
• Six styles — Harvest, Turkey, Maple leaf, Pumpkin pie, Cozy plaid and Minimal
• Full screen and Keep the screen on — for the kitchen tablet, a classroom board or the TV

When is Thanksgiving?

In the United States, Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November. It can fall on any date from November 22 to November 28. President Lincoln made it a national holiday in 1863, on the last Thursday of November. In 1941 Congress fixed it to the fourth Thursday, so it is never on November 29 or 30.

In Canada, Thanksgiving is the second Monday of October, any date from October 8 to October 14. It has been on that Monday since 1957, and it makes a long weekend. Many Canadian families eat the big dinner on the Sunday or the Monday.

The countdown finds the day like this: it looks at what weekday November 1 (or October 1) is, moves to the first Thursday (or Monday), and adds the weeks.

Traditions and ideas

• The dinner — turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie
• The parade — the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has marched in New York City since 1924
• Football — the Detroit Lions have played on Thanksgiving since 1934, and the Dallas Cowboys since 1966
• The turkey pardon — each year the US President spares one turkey at the White House
• Thaw the turkey in time — the USDA says to allow about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds. A 16-pound turkey needs about 4 days, so start on Sunday for a Thursday dinner. Watch the countdown and you won't miss it
• Thankful jar — each day of the countdown, everyone writes one thing they are thankful for and reads them out at dinner
• Classroom — put the countdown on the board in November, with the leaves falling, and count the sleeps together

How to use it

• Open the page — the countdown starts by itself
• Pick a style: Harvest, Turkey, Maple leaf, Pumpkin pie, Cozy plaid or Minimal
• Under Count down to, choose US Thanksgiving or Canadian Thanksgiving
• Turn the falling leaves and the sound on or off
• Press Full screen to show it on a big screen; press Esc to go back

Frequently asked questions

When is Thanksgiving 2026?

US Thanksgiving 2026 is on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Canadian Thanksgiving 2026 was on Monday, October 12, 2026.

Why is Thanksgiving always on a Thursday?

Since 1941, US law sets Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. So the weekday stays the same, but the date moves between November 22 and November 28.

When is Canadian Thanksgiving?

On the second Monday of October. Choose "Canadian Thanksgiving" under Count down to, and the page counts to it and shows the dates for the next years.

How many sleeps until Thanksgiving?

The line under the countdown shows the sleeps — the nights left before Thanksgiving morning. On the night before, it says "Only 1 more sleep".

Does it work in my time zone?

Yes. It uses the clock on your own phone or computer, so it ends at midnight where you are.

What happens on Thanksgiving Day?

The page says "Happy Thanksgiving!" all day. The next day it starts counting to next year's Thanksgiving.

Related tools

• Halloween Countdown — days until October 31
• Christmas Countdown — days and sleeps until Christmas
• New Year Countdown — to midnight, with fireworks
• Valentine's Day Countdown — days until February 14
• Easter Countdown — Western and Orthodox Easter
• Countdown to Date — count down to any day
• Printable Calendar — a calendar to plan the holidays