# Thanksgiving Day and FDR **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 26, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098 "2011-11-26T00:36:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bearcat69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Bearcat69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearcat69)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/1 "2011-11-26T00:36:23Z")
Cecil has just reposted his November 29, 1985 column [“Is it true Thanksgiving was invented by the editor of Harper’s Bazaar?”](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/434/is-it-true-thanksgiving-was-invented-by-the-editor-of-em-harpers-bazaar-em) I must correct one fact. Cecil claims that in FDR’s 1939 Thanksgiving proclamation, he changed the traditional last Thursday date for the holiday to the \*third \*Thursday. Roosevelt’s break with tradition did not go quite that far. There were five Thursdays in November that year. FDR declared that Turkey Day would be pushed to the \*fourth \*Thursday (the 23rd, rather than the 30th), which doesn’t seem quite so revolutionary. I caught the error immediately, because my father had related the whole brouhaha to me. Dad couldn’t understand all the whining by the Republicans because “they were the businessmen that would gain the most from the extra Christmas shopping.” Republicans make a big stink over something, just because it was a Democrat’s idea. I’m glad they don’t do that anymore! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/2 "2011-11-26T02:11:41Z")
I have heard the factoid reported both ways from different sources: third Thursday and fourth Thursday. I believe the first time I heard it, I heard fourth Thursday, but it’s been so long I can’t be sure. If Cecil was incorrect, this is one time I could forgive him for relying on an incorrect source. ---
**Author:** ![graceful1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@graceful1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/graceful1)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/3 "2011-11-26T06:36:28Z")
There is another error that must not be overlooked. Cecil says that FDR declared World War II. Under the Constitution, the President of the United States does not have the authority to declare war. Only Congress has that power, which they exercised. Indeed, it was the last time they ever did so. This is really an important point because the Presidency since WWII has become, to use Jefferson’s words, too monarchical and has usurped some of the functions that belong in other branches (esp. Congress). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/4 "2011-11-26T09:08:41Z")
Here’s the link to the column: [Is it true Thanksgiving was invented by the editor of Harper’s Bazaar?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/434/is-it-true-thanksgiving-was-invented-by-the-editor-of-em-harpers-bazaar-em) ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/5 "2011-11-27T17:31:49Z")
In actual fact, November 30, 1939 (the fifth and last Thursday of the month), was the Republican Thanksgiving, and November 23 (the fourth) was Roosevelt’s. In addition, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and San Francisco celebrated November 16 (the third) as Domestic Workers Thanksgiving. (The euphemism is not mine; it’s contemporary.) ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/6 "2011-11-28T19:25:57Z")
> [@graceful1](#): > > There is another error that must not be overlooked. Cecil says that FDR declared World War II. Under the Constitution, the President of the United States does not have the authority to declare war. Only Congress has that power, which they exercised. Indeed, it was the last time they ever did so. I believe Cecil addressed this complaint in his followup: > [@](#): > > Remind me to explain the concept of a “joke” to you someday, … ---
**Author:** ![graceful1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@graceful1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/graceful1)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/7 "2011-12-01T02:25:43Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I believe Cecil addressed this complaint in his followup: I think you need to reread the followup, which addressed the idea that there was no WWII until the United States entered it, not the idea that FDR or any other president could declare that war or any other war. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/8 "2011-12-02T19:00:23Z")
Cecil made the comment with respect to the complaint issued, but it fits just as well against your complaint. Cecil said that FDR declared WWII out of spite. It doesn’t work nearly as well to say “In retaliation, FDR waited until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and had Congress declare War, marking the United States’ official entry into the war that was already in progress.” There’s no funny there. ---
**Author:** ![graceful1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@graceful1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/graceful1)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/9 "2011-12-02T21:43:05Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Cecil made the comment with respect to the complaint issued, but it fits just as well against your complaint. > > Cecil said that FDR declared WWII out of spite. It doesn’t work nearly as well to say “In retaliation, FDR waited until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and had Congress declare War, marking the United States’ official entry into the war that was already in progress.” There’s no funny there. The point is, FDR didn’t declare any war. Congress did. ---
**Author:** ![SpyOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SpyOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpyOne)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/10 "2011-12-04T14:18:48Z")
> [@graceful1](#): > > The point is, FDR didn’t declare any war. Congress did. No, the point is that the comment that he declared war was intended as a joke. As such it may be riddled with factual inaccuracies, all of which are forgiven so long as it was funny (which, IMO, it was). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/11 "2011-12-13T01:35:11Z")
> [@SpyOne](#): > > No, the point is that the comment that he declared war was intended as a joke. When you have to explain a joke, it wasn’t very funny. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-day-and-fdr/604098/12 "2011-12-13T04:28:15Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > When you have to explain a joke, it wasn’t very funny. In that case, no joke is ever funny. Or is this your first encounter with the Internet?