Thanksgiving is a federal holiday always celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It is a secular holiday, generally regarded as a “day of thanks” and celebration with loved ones.
Traditions for a day of thanks are a recurring theme in many cultures around the world. In the United States, one popular story recounts a 1621 harvest celebration between Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts and Native American Abenaki, Patuxet, and Wampanoag tribal members who had helped the Pilgrims through a harsh winter by providing them with food and other survival assistance.
Many other stories, dates, locations, and religious observances have laid claim to “Thanksgiving” celebrations in places such as Florida, New York, Texas, and Virginia, as early as 1565 and as late as 1817. Still others commemorate a “National Day of Mourning” to acknowledge the conflicts that arose between Native Americans and European settlers, leading to the death and destruction of indigenous cultures across America.
Various presidents over time have issued proclamations about the name and date of “Thanksgiving” celebrations, including Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. For a few years in the 1930s, multiple dates were celebrated in different states.
On December 26, 1941, President Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress changing the official national Thanksgiving Day to the fourth Thursday in November starting in 1942. In 2022, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on Thursday November 24, 2022.
Of course, harvest celebrations are nothing new and have been celebrated across time and cultures nearly everywhere around the world. Today, the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States is celebrated as a day of thanks to be enjoyed over a sumptuous meal with family and friends featuring foods such as roast turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Other traditions include providing groceries and serving community meals to those in need. The three days following the Thursday Thanksgiving holiday feature more revelry, including parades, shopping events, and tree lighting to kick off the Christmas season.
What’s closed and open Thanksgiving Day 2022
Closed: All government facilities, non-retail businesses or services (banks, offices, etc.), public libraries, and community centers. Post offices are closed and there is no mail delivery. For parking lots and meters, check signage and follow restrictions on days and hours.
Retails stores are mostly CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day. While the trend for many years was for retail stores to open on Thanksgiving Day, more stores are now choosing to remain closed for the holiday, including national retailers such as Costco, Target, Walmart, and many other stores.
Open: All public parks are open. Grocery, convenience, drug stores, and a few other retailers that are open on Thanksgiving Day usually have shorter hours and some locations may be closed.
Grocers, drug stores, and retailers expected to be open Thanksgiving 2022
Not all stores in the same chain will follow the same hours, but the following are expected to be open, some with shorter hours, including 24-hour locations.
- 7-Eleven
- Circle K
- CVS Pharmacy
- Old Navy
- Safeway
- Walgreens
- Whole Foods
O’ahu: SELECT STORES OPEN ON THANKSGIVING at Kahala Mall (kahalamallcenter.com)
Garbage collection:
- City & County of Honolulu garbage collection is normal on all holidays except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day (then it is one day later).
- Maui, Lanai, Molokai: follow the Maui County holiday schedule
Public Transportation:
- Hawai’i Island Hele-On Bus operates on a Holiday Schedule.
- Kauaʻi Bus operates daily, including most holidays. See Kauai Bus Schedules.
- Maui Bus operates 7 days a week, including holidays. See Maui Web Bus Schedule
- Oʻahu TheBus will operate on s Sunday schedule. See TheBus – Routes & Timetables
Thanksgiving turkey dinner and side dishes – Depositphotos.com
2022 Federal & State Holiday Dates
USA=Federal Holiday. More info: Federal Holidays (opm.gov)
HAW=Hawaiʻi State holiday. More info: Department of Human Resources Development | State Observed Holidays (hawaii.gov)
*When federal or state holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, they are observed on Friday or Monday.
**Columbus Day is still the federally recognized holiday though many states have adopted other names
- *USA: Saturday, January 1 (observed Friday, December 31): New Year’s Day (always January 1)
- USA: Monday, January 17: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (3rd Monday in January)
- USA: Monday, February 21: President’s Day aka Washington’s Birthday (3rd Monday in February)
- *HAW: Saturday, March 26 (observed Friday, March 25): Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole Day (always March 26)
- HAW: Friday, April 15: Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday)
- USA: Monday, May 30: Memorial Day (4th Monday in May)
- *HAW: Saturday, June 11 (observed Friday, June 10): King Kamehameha I Day (11th day of June)
- *USA: Sunday, June 19 (observed Monday, June 20): Juneteenth National Independence Day (always June 19)
- USA: Monday, July 4: Independence Day
- HAW: Friday, August 19: Statehood Day (3rd Friday in August)
- USA: Monday, September 5: Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
- USA: Monday, October 11: **Columbus Day (2nd Monday in October), known as (Polynesian) Discoverers’ Day in Hawaiʻi though not recognized as a state holiday
- USA: Friday, November 11: Veteran’s Day (always November 11)
- USA: Thursday, November 24: Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday)
- USA: Sunday, December 25: Christmas Day (observed Monday, December 26) (always December 25)
2022 Other Holidays & Special Events
The following are not government recognized holidays with paid time off and free parking, etc. Rather, they are some commonly observed celebrations with public events that may be listed on our calendar, such as festivals & special events, sales & discounts, food & drink deals, etc.
Dates in maroon are some of the recognized days in the State of Hawaiʻi, though are not state holidays. More info: CHAPTER 8 (hawaii.gov)
- Sunday, January 30: Civil Liberties and the Constitution Day (always January 30)
- February: Mahina `Ōlelo Hawai`i (`Ōlelo Hawai`i Month)
- Monday, February 14: Valentine’s Day (always Feb 14)
- Tuesday, March 1, Mardi Gras (variable date based on Easter)
- Thursday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day (always March 17)
- Friday, March 18: Holi “Festival of colors” (variable date in February or March)
- Sunday, April 3: Ramadan begins (ends May 3 with Eid al-Fitr)
- Friday, April 15: Passover begins at sundown with a menorah lighting
- Sunday, April 17, Easter
- Monday, April 18: Federal Income Tax Day (April 15, unless adjusted)
- Sunday, May 1: Lei Day (always May 1)
- Thursday, May 5, Cinco de Mayo
- Sunday, May 8: Mother’s Day (2nd Sunday in May)
- Wednesday, June 8: World Ocean Day (always June 8)
- Sunday, June 19: Father’s Day (3rd Sunday in June)
- Sunday, June 19 (observed Monday, June 20): Juneteenth National Independence Day (always June 19)
- Sunday, August 7, Seafair Sunday
- September 2: Queen Liliʻuokalani Day (always her birthday, September 2)
- September 25: Gold Star Family Day (last Sunday in September)
- Month of October: Kalo Appreciation Month
- Monday, October 11: (Polynesian) Discoverers’ Day
- Monday, October 31, Halloween
- Tuesday, November 1, Day of the Dead aka All Souls Day
- Friday, November 25: Black Friday aka Native American Heritage Day (day after Thanksgiving)
- Monday, December 19: Chanukah (Hanukkah) begins at sundown
- Saturday, December 31: New Year’s Eve
Listed below is a summary of closures for government, business, services, retailers, and public services on Federal and State holidays.
Businesses closed on all holidays
The following businesses close on Federal and Hawai’i state holidays. In addition, these businesses usually close on early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Banks and credit unions are closed on all holidays.
Government offices are closed on all holidays, including city, county, and state offices, government buildings, court houses, and services such as licensing.
- Private employers in Hawaii are not required to close on state holidays or provide employees time off or holiday wages.
Post Offices are closed and there is no mail delivery. However, access to P.O. boxes is usually open. Private mailbox centers usually follow retail store hours.
Public libraries are closed on holidays. When holidays fall on a Sunday, they may observe a Monday closure.
Schools are closed.
Businesses closed on a few holidays
Garbage and recycling pickup: For customers with curbside service, there is usually no garbage pickup on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas and most dump sites are closed. However, garbage service is only delayed by one day. Therefore, if your regular pickup day falls on or after the holiday that week, adjust your pickup day to one day later. On all other holidays, garbage pickup is not adjusted.
Grocery stores are sometimes closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, though closures may vary widely even among chain stores. If they are open, they may have adjusted hours, opening later or closing earlier.
Restaurants are sometimes closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, except those located in hotels. Restaurants open on holidays may have special menus or hours.
Retail stores and shopping malls are usually closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. On other Federal holidays, they are open and offer big sales and discounts.
Businesses open most holidays
Grocery stores are open most holidays, except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. However, availability varies widely. Note that hours at chain stores can vary by location and some stores have reduced hours.
Restaurants are open most holidays, except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. However, restaurants in hotels are often open on all holidays. Restaurants open on holidays may have special menus or hours.
Retail stores and shopping malls are open most holidays, except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Many stores and malls have special sales and extended hours for most other Federal holidays, especially those on 3-day weekends.
Businesses open on all holidays
Movie theaters are usually open on all holidays. In fact, especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, going out to a movie is a tradition for many.
Parks are open on all holidays, usually dawn to dusk. This includes city, state, and national parks. Other public facilities such as swimming pools and golf courses are open most holidays except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Public transportation operates and some are on a Sunday or holiday schedule.
Event calendar for Veteran’s Day 2022
Listed below are events on our calendar for Veteran’s Day 2022.
Friday, November 11, 2022
For more things to do anytime, see our calendar of free and cheap things to do every day (hawaiionthecheap.com)
2023 National Holiday Dates
- Sunday, January 1: New Year’s Day
- Monday, January 2: New Year’s Day (observed)
- Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (3rd Monday in January)
- Monday, February 20: President’s Day aka Washington’s Birthday (3rd Monday in February)
- Monday, May 29: Memorial Day (4th Monday in May)
- Tuesday, July 4: Independence Day
- Monday, September 4: Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
- Monday, October 9: Indigenous People’s Day aka Columbus Day (2nd Monday in October)
- Friday, November 10: Veteran’s Day (observed)
- Saturday, November 11: Veteran’s Day
- Thursday, November 23: Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday)
- Monday, December 25: Christmas Day
2023 Hawaii State Holidays
Hawaiʻi State Government offices and facilities observe the following state holidays. Public schools are closed on Prince Kūhiō Day and Good Friday (they are not in session during summer). Federal offices are open. Retailers and the community have special celebrations.
- Monday, March 27: Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole Day (26th of March)
- Friday, April 7: Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday)
- Monday, June 12: King Kamehameha I Day (11th day of June)
- Friday, August 18: Statehood Day (3rd Friday in August)
More info: https://dhrd.hawaii.gov/state-observed-holidays/
2023 Other Holidays & Special Events
- Tuesday, February 14: Valentine’s Day
- Tuesday, February 21: Mardi Gras
- Tuesday, March 7: Holi (Festival of Colors)
- Friday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
- Thursday, March 23: Ramadan begins (ends Saturday, April 22 with Eid al-Fitr)
- Wednesday, April 5: Passover begins at sundown
- Sunday, April 9: Easter Sunday
- Monday, April 18: Federal Income Tax Day
- Friday, May 5: Cinco de Mayo
- Sunday, May 14: Mother’s Day (2nd Sunday in May)
- Sunday, June 18: Father’s Day (3rd Sunday in June)
- Monday, June 19: Juneteenth
- Sunday, August 6: Seafair Sunday
- Tuesday, October 31: Halloween
- Wednesday, November 1: Day of the Dead
- Friday, November 24: Black Friday aka Native American Heritage Day (day after Thanksgiving)
- Friday, December 7: Chanukah (Hanukkah) begins at sundown
- Sunday, December 31: New Year’s Eve
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