Thanksgiving Day in American Samoa
Thanksgiving is a public holiday in American Samoa, set by local law on the fourth Thursday in November. Government employees are entitled to a paid holiday under local law, with additional pay provided when they are required to work.[1][2]
Date and legal status
American Samoa’s public holiday statute names Thanksgiving and assigns it to the fourth Thursday in November. This is the local rule for the territory, and it matches the federal Thanksgiving weekday rule.[1][5]
The paid-holiday provisions cover government employees. Employees required to work receive an additional day’s pay in place of the holiday.[2]
Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday under the local date rule, so weekend substitution does not affect its usual observance. A separate regulation sets substitute-day rules for government employees when a holiday falls on a weekend; it also says employees with work schedules outside Monday to Friday observe a holiday on their first workday after a scheduled day off.[2]
A long local record
The American Samoan Digital Archives catalogues a Samoan-language newspaper proclamation from 1908 and a governor’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation from 1911, evidence that official Thanksgiving observances in the territory go back at least to the early twentieth century.[3]
The archive also lists a 1943 Thanksgiving Day dance program alongside presidential proclamations from 1951 and 1952. That surviving program documents a public event connected with the holiday at that time; it does not establish that dances, or any particular custom, are part of every family’s observance today.[4]
Meaning and observance
Thanksgiving is also a federal holiday in the United States. The National Archives traces the federal date to a 1941 law setting the holiday on November’s fourth Thursday; it also records President George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation.[5]
In American Samoa, government records document official proclamations and a historical dance programme. Visitors should check local notices rather than assume a particular programme or mainland-style meal.[3][4]
Planning around the holiday
The paid-holiday law covers government employees. Private shops, banks and transport services set their own hours, so check with the provider before the holiday.[2]
The Governor’s office publishes official notices and holiday messages, which can help residents and visitors check for specific public arrangements. Since public notices concern particular years or events, look for current information when planning a visit or appointment.[3]
Frequently asked questions
Is Thanksgiving a public holiday in American Samoa?
Yes. Local law includes Thanksgiving among American Samoa’s public holidays and sets it on the fourth Thursday in November.[1]
Do government employees get the day off?
It is a paid holiday for government employees. If an employee is required to work, the law provides an additional day’s pay in lieu of the holiday.[2]
Are shops, banks, and transport services open?
Shops, banks and transport services set their own hours, so check directly with the service you plan to use.[2]
Does American Samoa have a documented local Thanksgiving tradition?
Sources and references
Sources used for Thanksgiving Day in American Samoa:
- 1.0501 Public holidays.- American Samoa Bar Association
- 7.1205 Paid holidays.- American Samoa Bar Association
- Thanksgiving- Office of Archives and Records Management, American Samoa Government
- 1943 Thanksgiving Day Dance Program and 1951-52 Presidential Proclamations of Thanksgiving Day.- American Samoan Digital Archives, Office of Archives and Records Management, American Samoa Government
- Congress Establishes Thanksgiving- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration