Generally, Thanksgiving Day falls on the fourth Thursday of November each year, and the Thanksgiving holiday runs from Thursday through Sunday. Thanksgiving is an ancient holiday created by the people of the United States and is a holiday that brings American families together. The first Thanksgiving Day did not have a fixed date and was decided on an ad hoc basis by each state in the United States. It was not until 1863, after the independence of the United States, that President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.In 1941, the United States Congress officially designated the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. The Thanksgiving holiday usually lasts from Thursday to Sunday.