The first Southern state to adopt an official Thanksgiving Day in 1855 was Virginia.

Quick Scoop

In the mid‑19th century, Thanksgiving was largely a Northern tradition, promoted especially by New England cultural and religious leaders. By 1855, the custom had spread enough that Virginia became the first Southern state to formally proclaim a statewide Thanksgiving Day, marking an important moment in the holiday’s expansion beyond its Northern roots.

Why Virginia in 1855?

  • Virginia’s leaders were influenced by the growing national trend of governors issuing annual Thanksgiving proclamations, especially in Northern and some Western states.
  • Adopting Thanksgiving in 1855 helped align Virginia culturally with broader national practices well before Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation of a national Thanksgiving Day.

A bit of historical flavor

Before the Civil War, many Southerners viewed Thanksgiving as something of a “Yankee” observance, so its spread into the South was gradual and sometimes resisted. Virginia’s early adoption in 1855 stands out because other Southern states, like Arkansas and Mississippi, did not formally declare regular Thanksgiving observances until well into the 20th century.

In short, when you see the question “which southern state was the first to adopt a Thanksgiving Day in 1855?”, the historically supported answer is Virginia.

TL;DR: Virginia was the first Southern state to officially adopt a Thanksgiving Day, doing so in 1855.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.