Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is the U.S. holiday held on the fourth Thursday of November. In Guam, many households use it for a large family meal and expressions of gratitude, but the table often looks distinctly local: recipes may reflect CHamoru, Filipino, other Micronesian, Asian and mainland American family histories. Travel, military postings and migration mean some gatherings also connect relatives across the Pacific and the continental United States by telephone or video.

The familiar national story linking Thanksgiving to a harmonious 1621 meal is incomplete. Indigenous peoples in North America experienced dispossession, warfare and policies of assimilation after European settlement, and communities interpret the holiday differently. Guam has its own history of Indigenous CHamoru land, Spanish and U.S. colonial rule, Japanese occupation and continuing territorial status. A thoughtful local observance can value gratitude and hospitality without projecting a simplified mainland origin story onto Guam.

Guam Code §1000 sets Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November, the same date as the federal holiday; it is November 26 in 2026. GovGuam and most federal offices close. Private restaurants, hotels, retailers and other businesses may open, and public safety, health, utilities and military functions continue as needed. The following Friday is not a permanent Guam holiday unless separately declared for a particular year or workforce.