Trump Proclaims National Thanksgiving Day for 2025

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Wednesday designating Thursday, November 27, 2025, as a National Day of Thanksgiving, urging Americans to gather in homes and places of worship to offer prayers of gratitude for the nation's blessings.

The proclamation, signed on November 25, 2025, draws on historical precedents to emphasize themes of reverence, trust, and national resilience. Trump referenced President George Washington's 1789 establishment of the first National Day of Thanksgiving, shortly after the Revolutionary War, when Washington called on the nation to acknowledge "the providence of Almighty God" and express thanks for divine protection and favor. He also highlighted President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 proclamation during the Civil War, which invited citizens to observe a day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens," even amid conflict, to recognize bounties like fruitful fields and preserved peace with other nations.

Trump's statement traces the holiday's roots to the Pilgrims' 1621 celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts, nearly a year after their arrival, marking a harvest feast shared with Native Americans. It...