Why Abbott Elementary Has No Thanksgiving Episodes

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Despite being a hilarious show with a fantastic cast, Abbott Elementary hasn’t featured a Thanksgiving episode in its first five seasons. In just five seasons, though, it’s quickly become one of the best workplace comedies ever, rivaling classics like The Office.

The season 4 finale of Abbott Elementary was nearly flawless, but the show hasn’t fully embraced all the traditional elements of classic sitcoms. The first episode of season 5 put a welcome spotlight on the beloved character of Mr. Johnson, but the series has sometimes neglected other supporting characters, with the focus primarily on Janine, Gregory, and Ava.

Like many sitcoms, Abbott Elementary hasn’t done a Thanksgiving episode yet, despite having celebrated Halloween and Christmas. This is a bit surprising, considering Friends was well-known for frequently including Thanksgiving storylines.

Abbott Elementary’s Release Schedule Makes Thanksgiving Episodes Difficult

The reason Abbott Elementary doesn’t have Thanksgiving episodes isn’t about the show’s story, but rather when it airs. Because it follows a typical network sitcom schedule, the show usually begins new seasons in September or October and finishes in May.

Typically, Abbott Elementary takes a break in late November, like it did in seasons five and four. Alternatively, new seasons sometimes begin after November, as seen with seasons one and three. The start of season three was pushed back due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, and season one premiered later in the year because it was a mid-season show.

After the first episode of Abbott Elementary season 5 premiered in early October, the show had to pause for several weeks to ensure all 22 episodes would be released by May 2026. As a result, episode 6, “No Phones,” aired on November 5th, and fans will have to wait until December 3rd to see episode 7, “Goofgirl.”

Because of the show’s release schedule, season five of Abbott Elementary won’t have a Thanksgiving episode, which is a departure from previous seasons that always included both Halloween and Christmas episodes. However, this actually fits with the show’s overall storylines and themes.

Abbott Elementary’s Focus On Christmas and Halloween Makes Thematic Sense

As the name suggests, Abbott Elementary takes place in a public school and primarily follows the teachers and students there. While kids get very excited about Halloween and Christmas, Thanksgiving is usually a more family-focused holiday. Because Thanksgiving doesn’t involve gifts or trick-or-treating, it doesn’t have as big an impact on the students.

Unlike Christmas or Halloween, teachers often don’t get a Thanksgiving break, which makes the holiday feel less central to the show. Abbott Elementary focuses on the lives of teachers at work, and Thanksgiving is traditionally a family holiday, so it naturally isn’t a major event in their world.

Christmas episodes of Abbott Elementary often focus on family, but cleverly depict the teachers as a close-knit, unconventional family unit. Thanksgiving episodes attempt a similar approach, but it sometimes feels a bit contrived due to problems with the holiday’s central theme.

Abbott Elementary’s Lack of Thanksgiving Episodes Is Secretly A Good Thing

Like many classic sitcoms – think The Simpsons or The Big Bang Theory – Abbott Elementary doesn’t focus much on Thanksgiving. The reason is simple: if these shows dedicated episodes to every major fall and winter holiday, it would feel like every other episode from October through January was a holiday-themed story.

Focusing on Christmas and Halloween in Abbott Elementary makes more sense than Thanksgiving because those holidays are celebrated globally. Thanksgiving is primarily an American holiday, and while many viewers worldwide recognize Christmas and Halloween, Thanksgiving isn’t as widely observed. This broader appeal makes Christmas and Halloween more suitable for the show.

While Abbott Elementary could easily do an episode centered around Thanksgiving, given how many schools celebrate it, focusing on US-specific holidays limits its international appeal. Christmas and Halloween episodes are much more easily enjoyed by audiences worldwide. This was demonstrated in season 4, where the show opted for two Christmas specials instead of a Thanksgiving episode.

We’ll have to wait and see if the fifth season of the show will have one or two Christmas episodes. With “Goofgirl” airing on December 3rd and episode 8, “Birthday,” on December 10th, it’s possible both could be holiday-themed. Many sitcoms release their Christmas episodes in November due to how TV networks schedule programs, so it wouldn’t be surprising if these were festive specials.

However, it’s doubtful we’ll see a Thanksgiving-themed episode of Abbott Elementary anytime soon. The show already covers plenty of holidays from October to January, and adding another festive special would feel like too much.

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2025-11-26 19:49