Thursday, November 27, 2025

Question: In what year did Colorado celebrate two Thanksgivings?

Answer: In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving from the last to the second-to-last Thursday of November, hoping to boost the economy by lengthening the Christmas shopping season. While 23 states adopted Roosevelt’s proclamation, Colorado held firm to tradition and declared Thanksgiving on November 30, leading to two official holidays in the state—on both Nov. 23 and Nov. 30.

Newspapers chronicled the mixed reactions. While some Coloradans enjoyed the novelty of two turkey dinners, others criticized the confusion and called for unity. The debate ended in 1941, when Congress officially set Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of November.