Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day

 is a traditional North American holiday, which is a form of harvest festival. First celebrated in what would become Canada in the late 1500s, Thanksgiving was later also celebrated in what would become the United States in the early 1600s. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States.

In the United States, Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is an annual one-day legal holiday to express gratitude for the things one has at the end of the harvest season, usually directed to God. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November (i.e. the Thursday falling between November 22 and November 28). The period from Thanksgiving Day to New Year's Day is often collectively referred to as the "holiday season," and the holiday itself is often nicknamed Turkey Day. Thanksgiving is generally considered a secular holiday, and is not directly based in religious canon or dogma. The holiday's origins trace to harvest festivals that have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, and most people celebrate by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast. A tradition also exists to share the fruits of the harvest with those who are less fortunate.