Thanksgiving Day

plural Thanksgiving Days · alternative Thanksgiving day

1. CanadaA holiday, originally to give thanks to God for the harvest, celebrated annually on the second Monday of October.

   Synonyms: Thanksgiving

2. USA holiday, originally to give thanks to God and to commemorate the feast held by the Pilgrim colonists, celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November.

   Synonyms: Thanksgiving, Turkey Day, T-Day

3. A holiday to commemorate the invasion of Grenada by the United States and the overthrowing of the communist People's Revolutionary Government in 1983, celebrated annually on the 25th of October.

plural Thanksgiving days

1. Alternative letter-case form of Thanksgiving Day.

   On bright, clear Thanksgiving days, more than a million people have lined the parade route, but yesterday probably fewer than half that many were in attendance.

   1975 November 28, Richard Severo, “RAIN‐THINS CROWD AT MACY'S PARADE”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Dec 2025

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   The breakdown of our holidays into days of mere worldly diversion is pathetic—e. g.: Fourth of July without patriotism, Thanksgiving day without thanks and Christmas day without Christ. What insults to the Almighty! Let us make it not alone a Santa-mas, but a Christ-mas.

   1912 December 20, “Church Notes”, in G. H. Graham, editor, The Nebraska News, volume VIII, number 42, Lincoln, Neb.: The Claflin Publishing Company, →OCLC, page [2], column 3

   As a Thanksgiving day gift to inmates of the Texas penitentiary, Mrs. Ferguson—the governor, or “governor-ess,” assuming that her husband is the real executive—issued 105 clemency proclamations.

   1925 December 5, “The War in Texas”, in The Atlanta Constitution, volume LVIII, number 175, Atlanta, Ga., page six, column 1

   We all are up to our beds for a few minutes after church, and most of the fellows were quiet—thinking of other Thanksgiving days. For many it was the first time away and it was a bit strange.

   1942, George [Herbert Walker] Bush, “Love and War”, in All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings, New York, N.Y.: A Lisa Drew Book/Scribner, published 1999, →ISBN, page 28