How to write a Thanksgiving letter to a friend (with an example)
US Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026. How to structure a thank-you letter around one specific thing, phrases, an example letter and the Lettie Thanksgiving stamp.
US Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026. A Thanksgiving letter lands best when it names one specific thing you're grateful for, not "thanks for everything". On Lettie, sending one letter between Nov 22, 12:00 UTC and Nov 28, 12:00 UTC earns a free Thanksgiving stamp (an autumn harvest basket).
A three-line structure
- One scene — "the story about your grandma's recipe in your last letter".
- What it gave you — "after reading it, I called my mom".
- A question about their table — "what's on your Thanksgiving table?"
Phrases
| Phrase | Use |
|---|---|
| Happy Thanksgiving! | Opening |
| I'm grateful for our letters this year. | The heart of the letter |
| Your last letter made my week. | Naming a specific moment |
| What's on your table this year? | The question |
| Wishing you a warm Thanksgiving with the people you love. | Sign-off |
Example letter
Happy Thanksgiving! I keep thinking about the pumpkin pie your grandma bakes every year. After your letter, I called my mom and we talked about the rice cakes we used to make for Chuseok, our autumn harvest holiday in Korea. What's on your table this year? Thank you for being my letter friend.
Pair it with your own harvest holiday
Korea's Chuseok and the Mid-Autumn Festival in China and Vietnam are also about giving thanks for the harvest. One line about your own autumn holiday makes it easy for your pen pal to share theirs.
Good to know
- The Thanksgiving stamp reminder goes to people in the US, but anyone anywhere can earn the stamp.
- Send a day early to land on the 26th. A letter from Korea to the US usually takes 12–24 hours.
To turn a thank-you letter into a second and third letter, see how to keep a pen pal conversation going.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Thanksgiving in 2026?
- US Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November: November 26, 2026. Canadian Thanksgiving was the second Monday of October (October 12, 2026).
- What should a Thanksgiving letter say?
- One specific moment you’re grateful for beats “thanks for everything”. One scene, what it meant to you, and a question about their table is enough.
- How do I get the Lettie Thanksgiving stamp?
- Send one letter between Nov 22, 12:00 UTC and Nov 28, 12:00 UTC and a free stamp arrives.