<P> Thanksgiving , or Thanksgiving Day , is a public holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States . It originated as a harvest festival . Thanksgiving has been celebrated nationally on and off since 1789 , after Congress requested a proclamation by George Washington . It has been celebrated as a federal holiday every year since 1864 , when , during the American Civil War , President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of `` Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens , '' to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November . Together with Christmas and the New Year , Thanksgiving is a part of the broader holiday season . </P>
<P> Thanksgiving , or Thanksgiving Day , is a public holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States . It originated as a harvest festival . Thanksgiving has been celebrated nationally on and off since 1789 , after Congress requested a proclamation by George Washington . It has been celebrated as a federal holiday every year since 1864 , when , during the American Civil War , President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of `` Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens , '' to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November . Together with Christmas and the New Year , Thanksgiving is a part of the broader holiday season . </P>
which us president made thanksgiving a national holiday
which us president made thanksgiving a national holiday
Abraham Lincoln George Washington
Abraham Lincoln George Washington