(NEXSTAR) — Halloween has come and gone, the trees have nearly dropped all of their leaves, and there’s a certain chill in the air, which means Thanksgiving must be drawing near.

But, a quick look at the calendar shows Turkey Day really isn’t that close at all — we still have two weeks before we can carve the bird and stuff ourselves with mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.

Landing on November 28, Thanksgiving is only barely happening in November this year. It’s much later than last year’s November 23, 2022’s November 24, and slightly later than 2025’s November 27.

Why is Thanksgiving so late this year? Blame the calendar — or, if you prefer, Congress.

When did the U.S. start observing Thanksgiving?

The U.S. has recognized Thanksgiving since 1789, when President George Washington issued the first proclamation designating the first national day of thanksgiving. It fell on Thursday, November 26, that year, and was technically known as a “Day of Publick Thanksgivin,” according to The Center for Legislative Archives.

For the next seven decades, the president would issue Thanksgiving Proclamations, though the dates would vary, so much so that there were times when it didn’t happen in November. The Library of Congress reports President James Madison proclaimed Thanksgiving on two different dates — September 9 in 1813 and March 16 in 1815.

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