When do Thanksgiving and Black Friday fall on the 2025 calendar, and why?

When Do Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fall in 2025, and Why?

Thanksgiving in the United States is both a day of gratitude and the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. Families gather for feasts on Thursday, and by the next morning, Black Friday begins, marking the rush of seasonal sales.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Dates in 2025

In 2025, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on November 27, one of the latest possible dates in the month. Consequently, Black Friday will fall on November 28, marking the beginning of the holiday shopping period.

How the Date Was Decided

Since 1942, Thanksgiving has officially been observed on the fourth Thursday of November. Before that, dating back to President Abraham Lincoln’s time, it was celebrated on the last Thursday of the month. The change created only a slight shift in timing, but it carried major economic implications.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November in 1939, hoping to extend the shopping season and help boost the economy during the Great Depression.

By 1942, Congress made Roosevelt’s decision law, fixing the date permanently. This adjustment aligned the holiday calendar with the commercial spirit of the season, a tradition that still shapes American retail culture today.

Black Friday: The Unofficial Shopping Holiday

In the decades following the change, the Friday after Thanksgiving evolved into Black Friday, a day synonymous with major sales and storewide discounts. It has since become a cornerstone of American consumer culture.

Author’s Summary: Thanksgiving 2025 falls on November 27, followed by Black Friday on November 28, continuing a tradition officially set in 1942 to stimulate holiday shopping and the economy.

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OregonLive.com OregonLive.com — 2025-11-05

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