Thanksgiving in France: Traditions, Celebrations and What to Know

Thanksgiving in France is a rather curious subject. While the holiday is one of the most important family celebrations in the United States, it is not a traditional French festival, nor is it a public holiday.

Most French people simply go about their normal lives on the fourth Thursday of November. Schools remain open, people go to work, and there are no nationwide Thanksgiving parades or family gatherings around a roast turkey.

However, Thanksgiving is not entirely absent from France. American expatriates, international families and some restaurants keep the tradition alive, particularly in cities such as Paris.

And there is something rather amusing about the French relationship with Thanksgiving: while the holiday itself has never really caught on, Black Friday, which follows it in the American calendar, has become a familiar shopping event across France!

So, what exactly happens on Thanksgiving in France? Can you enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner while visiting the country? And is there a French equivalent to this American celebration?

Let's find out.

Is Thanksgiving in France Celebrated?

The short answer is no, not as a national or traditional celebration.

Asking whether the French celebrate Thanksgiving is rather like asking whether Americans celebrate Bastille Day, the French national holiday.

Both occasions have a particular historical and cultural significance in their respective countries, but neither has become an established national celebration in the other.

In the United States, Thanksgiving is closely associated with family reunions, a traditional meal and giving thanks. It is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year.

In France, the fourth Thursday of November is an ordinary working day.

You will not find Thanksgiving decorations in every supermarket, nor will you see French families preparing a special dinner simply because the date has arrived.

That said, the holiday is not completely unknown.

Thanks to American films, television series and social media, many French people recognise the image of a large roast turkey surrounded by family and friends.

Series such as Friends, The Simpsons and The Office have helped introduce the celebration to international audiences.

Nevertheless, knowing about Thanksgiving is not quite the same as celebrating it.

Why Isn't Thanksgiving a French Holiday?

The main reason is historical.

Thanksgiving developed from traditions and events associated with North American history. Its national significance is closely connected with the development of the United States.

France has its own calendar of national, religious and regional celebrations, shaped by a different history.

There is no French equivalent of the American Thanksgiving holiday with the same origins, date or family traditions.

France also has well-established autumn celebrations of its own.

For example, Halloween in France has become familiar in shops, schools and entertainment venues, although it is still not celebrated everywhere.

The beginning of November is also marked by All Saints' Day, known as La Toussaint, when many families traditionally visit cemeteries and place flowers on relatives' graves.

But these celebrations are quite different from Thanksgiving.

Unlike Halloween, which can be adopted through costumes, decorations and parties, Thanksgiving is strongly associated with a particular national story and a family tradition.

There has therefore been little reason for the French to make it part of their own calendar.

Thanksgiving in France: Who Celebrates It?

Although Thanksgiving is not widely celebrated by French families, there are people who continue to observe it.

Most are connected in some way with the United States, whether through nationality, family relationships, friendships or professional life.

American Expats and Thanksgiving in France

For Americans living abroad, Thanksgiving can be an important occasion to maintain a connection with home.

Some organise a dinner with relatives and friends, inviting both American and French guests.

Others join gatherings arranged by international communities, associations or places of worship.

Of course, celebrating Thanksgiving in France can involve a few adjustments.

Because it is not a public holiday, people may have to work during the day and organise their meal in the evening or over the following weekend.

American families with children attending French schools may also find that the school timetable takes priority over Thanksgiving preparations.

Still, gathering friends around a table is something the French understand perfectly well!

And for French guests invited to an American Thanksgiving dinner, the occasion can be an enjoyable introduction to a different cultural tradition.

Thanksgiving in France: Restaurants and Special Events

If you are visiting France in late November, you may be able to find a restaurant offering a special Thanksgiving menu.

Paris is the most obvious place to start looking, thanks to its international population and American community.

Some restaurants, particularly those serving American or international cuisine, may organise a Thanksgiving dinner featuring roast turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie.

American associations, international groups and hotels may also organise events.

However, these celebrations are not widespread, and arrangements vary from year to year.

A restaurant that offered a Thanksgiving menu last November may not necessarily repeat the experience this year.

For this reason, I recommend checking current announcements and booking well in advance.

Search for expressions such as Thanksgiving dinner Paris or menu Thanksgiving Paris, and check the restaurant's own website rather than relying on an old events listing.

If you are staying outside Paris, special events may be harder to find, although communities in other large French cities sometimes organise private gatherings.

How to Celebrate Thanksgiving in France

Perhaps you are American and spending Thanksgiving in France this year.

Or you may be living in France and hoping to introduce some French friends to this very American tradition.

The good news is that you can prepare a Thanksgiving dinner in France, even if a few ingredients require some planning.

A little organisation will make the difference.

Finding Thanksgiving Ingredients in France

Most of the basic ingredients for a Thanksgiving dinner are available in France.

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, green beans, apples, chestnuts and seasonal vegetables are relatively easy to find in supermarkets or food markets.

Some more specifically American ingredients, however, can be harder to locate.

The first challenge may be the turkey.

In French, turkey is called dinde.

Turkey meat is readily available in France, but finding a whole bird of the right size in November is not always as straightforward as it might be in the United States.

The French traditionally associate roast turkey with Christmas rather than Thanksgiving.

If you want a whole turkey, ask a local butcher (boucher) whether you can order one in advance.

You could say:

Bonjour, je voudrais commander une dinde entière pour la fin du mois de novembre.

This means: "Hello, I would like to order a whole turkey for the end of November."

Another ingredient that may require some searching is cranberry sauce.

Cranberries are known in French as canneberges, although you may also come across the English word cranberry on packaging.

Dried cranberries are relatively easy to find, but fresh cranberries and American-style cranberry sauce are less consistently available.

International food shops and specialist online retailers may be useful alternatives.

Canned pumpkin purée is another ingredient that can be difficult to locate.

Fortunately, France has plenty of fresh pumpkins and squashes in autumn.

You can use potiron, potimarron or butternut squash to prepare your own purée, although the flavour and texture will vary slightly depending on the variety.

Here is a little vocabulary to help with your shopping:

It is also worth remembering that measurements and oven temperatures in France use the metric system and degrees Celsius.

Planning a Thanksgiving Dinner in France

A traditional American Thanksgiving meal usually centres on roast turkey, accompanied by several side dishes.

Stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and green beans are among the familiar favourites.

For dessert, pumpkin pie and pecan pie are popular choices.

You can certainly recreate this meal in France.

But there is no reason why you should not introduce a little French influence as well.

For example, a gratin dauphinois could make an excellent alternative to mashed potatoes.

Roasted chestnuts would fit naturally into an autumn meal, while a selection of French cheeses could be served before dessert.

A traditional French apple tart might even sit happily alongside the pumpkin pie.

And if you cannot find a sufficiently large turkey, a roast chicken or another locally available bird may offer a practical alternative.

The important thing, after all, is not to reproduce every dish exactly as it would appear on an American table.

It is to share a meal with family and friends and celebrate the spirit of gratitude that lies at the heart of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving in France and French Harvest Traditions

Although France does not have a national Thanksgiving holiday, the idea of celebrating a successful harvest is certainly not foreign to French culture.

For centuries, agricultural communities have marked the end of the harvest with meals, fairs, religious services and village festivities.

These customs vary considerably from one region to another.

In wine-producing areas, the grape harvest, or vendanges, remains an important moment in the local calendar.

Some villages organise harvest festivals with traditional music, food, wine and regional produce.

Elsewhere, fêtes des moissons celebrate the gathering of grain, sometimes with demonstrations of old agricultural machinery and farming techniques.

These occasions are not the French equivalent of American Thanksgiving.

However, they reveal a shared human tradition: bringing people together to celebrate the produce of the land and the completion of a season's work.

A Brief History of American Thanksgiving

The history of Thanksgiving in the United States is more complex than the familiar story of the Pilgrim Fathers gathering around a table.

In 1620, English colonists arrived aboard the Mayflower and established Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts.

They endured a difficult first winter, during which many died.

Their survival and settlement took place within the existing world of the Indigenous peoples of the region, including the Wampanoag.

In the autumn of 1621, following a successful harvest, the English colonists held a celebration attended by Ousamequin, also known as Massasoit, and around 90 of his men.

The gathering lasted three days.

However, historians caution against treating this event as the straightforward beginning of today's Thanksgiving holiday.

The people involved did not call it "Thanksgiving" in the modern sense, and the encounter took place within a much more complicated history of diplomacy, colonisation and conflict.

The Plimoth Patuxet Museums provide a useful explanation of the 1621 gathering and how it later became part of American national memory.

Thanksgiving developed over the following centuries.

George Washington issued a Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789, while Abraham Lincoln established an annual national observance in 1863 during the American Civil War.

The holiday is now observed on the fourth Thursday of November.

Today, it is associated with family reunions, gratitude, a traditional dinner and, for many Americans, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

Does France Have an Equivalent to Thanksgiving?

Not really.

France has harvest celebrations, religious festivals and occasions for families to gather, but none corresponds exactly to the American Thanksgiving holiday.

The French national holiday on 14 July commemorates events associated with the French Revolution, while All Saints' Day on 1 November has a very different religious and family significance.

And although Christmas brings many French families together around an elaborate meal, it is not a harvest celebration.

Perhaps the closest comparison lies in the local fêtes des moissons and fêtes des vendanges.

These festivities share the idea of celebrating the harvest, but they are not observed nationwide on a fixed date, nor do they have the same traditions as Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving in France and Black Friday

There is something rather curious about the relationship between Thanksgiving and Black Friday in France.

While Thanksgiving remains largely an American celebration, Black Friday has become a familiar event in French shops and online stores.

The American shopping tradition, which takes place the day after Thanksgiving, began gaining ground in France during the 2010s.

Today, major retailers promote Black Friday discounts, sometimes extending their offers across an entire week or longer.

It is an interesting example of how an American commercial tradition can become established in France without the holiday from which it originated.

The French may not gather around a Thanksgiving turkey in late November, but they certainly know what Black Friday means!

Find out more about Black Friday in France on the blog!

Frequently Asked Questions About Thanksgiving in France

Is Thanksgiving in France a Public Holiday?

No. Thanksgiving is not a public holiday in France.

Schools, government offices and most businesses follow their normal Thursday schedules.

The holiday does not appear on the official French public holiday calendar.

When Is Thanksgiving in France in 2026?

American Thanksgiving falls on Thursday 26 November 2026.

The date is the same whether you are in the United States or France, although Thanksgiving is not a French public holiday.

Canadian Thanksgiving is different: it takes place on the second Monday in October.

What Is Thanksgiving Called in French?

The English word Thanksgiving is commonly used in France, particularly when discussing American culture.

You may also encounter the translation Action de grâce, referring to the idea of giving thanks.

In Canada, the French term l'Action de grâce is especially familiar.

What Do French People Think of Thanksgiving?

There is no single French opinion about Thanksgiving.

Some people know the holiday through American films and television series, while others may know relatively little about its history.

Those who have American relatives, friends or colleagues may have experienced a traditional Thanksgiving dinner themselves.

For many French people, however, Thanksgiving remains a distinctly American celebration rather than an occasion they would normally observe.

And that is perhaps what makes the contrast with Black Friday so interesting: an American shopping event has become part of the French commercial calendar, while the family holiday that precedes it has largely remained on the other side of the Atlantic.