A Thanksgiving out of office message tells the people emailing you three things: that you are away, when you will reply, and who to contact if something cannot wait. Below are 40 ready-to-copy Thanksgiving out of office messages: professional, short and simple, funny, warm, closure notices for customers, and a one-line Thanksgiving signature banner, plus a short Canada section and the steps to turn on an automatic reply.
What a good Thanksgiving out of office message says
A Thanksgiving out of office message works best when it is specific: the exact day or days you are away, the date you are back, and who to email instead if it is urgent. Pick your tone below, from buttoned-up to genuinely funny, and copy the one that fits.
Set the line once. Everyone on the team sends it.
Add the Thanksgiving line to the company signature on Signatoro and the whole team, including any AI agent that sends on your behalf, uses it from that point on. Take it off again on Monday.
Professional Thanksgiving out of office messages
Each one gives an exact date, leaves the return date open as a placeholder since it varies by company, and points to someone else for anything urgent.
Thank you for your email. Our office is closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, and I am away. I will reply when I'm back on [return date]. For anything urgent before then, please contact [colleague name and email].
Happy Thanksgiving. Our office is closed Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27. I'll be back on [return date] and will answer your message then. For anything time-sensitive, reach [colleague name and email].
Thank you for reaching out. I am out of office starting Thursday, November 26 for the Thanksgiving holiday and return on [return date]. Your work is in good hands with [colleague name and email] while I'm away.
I'm out for Thanksgiving starting Thursday, November 26 and back on [return date]. For anything that can't wait, please reach [colleague name and email]. Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for your message. Our team is out of office for Thanksgiving beginning Thursday, November 26, and we return on [return date]. For urgent matters, please contact [colleague name and email].
I am away from the office for Thanksgiving starting Thursday, November 26. I will respond to your email after I return on [return date]. For urgent requests, contact [colleague name and email].
Thanksgiving in Canada (Monday, October 12, 2026)
Canadian Thanksgiving falls over a month earlier. These two work the same way, with Canada's date in place of the US one.
Thank you for your email. Our Canadian office is closed Monday, October 12 for Thanksgiving. I will reply when I'm back on [return date]. For anything urgent, please contact [colleague name and email].
Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian team and clients. I'm out of office Monday, October 12 and back on [return date]. For time-sensitive matters, reach [colleague name and email] in the meantime.
Short and simple Thanksgiving out of office messages
For when a full paragraph is more than the moment needs.
Thanks for your note. I'm away for Thanksgiving and back on [return date].
Out for Thanksgiving. I'll reply to your email when I'm back.
Thanksgiving break: out now, back soon. Thanks for your patience.
I'm out of office for Thanksgiving. I'll answer your email when I'm back.
Away for the Thanksgiving holiday. Back on [return date].
Short week ahead: out for Thanksgiving, back on [return date]. Thanks for waiting.
Funny Thanksgiving out of office messages
Each one still says when you are back; the joke is just the first thing a reader notices.
Out for Thanksgiving. If this email is about pie, the answer is yes, I will fight you for the last slice. Back on [return date] to reply to everything else.
I'm observing the sacred post-turkey nap through Thanksgiving. Emails will be answered once I'm vertical again, on [return date].
Out for Thanksgiving, mostly negotiating leftover rights with my family. Back on [return date], fully recovered from gravy.
Away for Thanksgiving to yell at a football game from the couch. I'll reply to your email once the yelling stops, on [return date].
Out for Thanksgiving, currently being asked by every relative when I'm getting a real job. Back on [return date] with answers to your email instead.
I'm out for Thanksgiving, deep in a mashed potato situation. Normal email service resumes on [return date].
Out for Thanksgiving, pretending I understand my uncle's turkey-frying technique. Back on [return date], hopefully with both eyebrows intact.
Thanksgiving out of office: mostly guarding the leftovers from the dog. I'll be back answering email on [return date].
Warm and grateful Thanksgiving out of office messages
For the people you would actually like to wish a happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you for your email, and happy Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for clients and colleagues like you, and I'll be back to reply on [return date].
Wishing you a warm Thanksgiving with the people you love. I'm out of office and will respond when I'm back on [return date].
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm taking the week to be grateful for the year, including working with you. Back on [return date].
Thank you for thinking of me, and happy Thanksgiving. I'm away from my inbox and will reply with full attention on [return date].
Grateful for this past year and for you. I'm out for Thanksgiving and will be back on [return date] to catch up.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I'm stepping away to be present with family, and I'll respond to your email on [return date].
Office closed for Thanksgiving (for customers)
Customer-facing notices, some marked "in observance of Thanksgiving" for a more formal reading.
Our office is closed Thursday, November 26 in observance of Thanksgiving. We will reopen and respond to your message on [return date]. For urgent support, contact [colleague name and email].
In observance of Thanksgiving, our office is closed Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27. We'll reply to your message starting [return date]. For time-sensitive issues, reach [colleague name and email].
Thank you for contacting us. Our office is closed for the Thanksgiving holiday beginning Thursday, November 26, and we return on [return date]. For urgent requests, please contact [colleague name and email].
Happy Thanksgiving from our team. Our office will be closed Thursday, November 26 and will reopen on [return date]. For anything urgent, contact [colleague name and email].
We're closed Thursday, November 26 for Thanksgiving so our team can spend the day with family. We'll respond to your message on [return date]; for urgent matters, contact [colleague name and email].
Our office is closed in observance of Thanksgiving from Thursday, November 26 through [return date]. We appreciate your patience and will respond as soon as we're back; for urgent needs, contact [colleague name and email].
Thanksgiving signature line or banner
One line under every signature at the company, in place of a full out-of-office template. Set it once, take it off once.
Happy Thanksgiving from our team. Office closed November 26 and 27.
Grateful for you this Thanksgiving. We'll reply after the holiday.
Wishing you a warm Thanksgiving. Back in your inbox November 30.
Thanksgiving hours: closed November 26, back November 30.
Happy Thanksgiving! Thankful for clients like you.
Out for Thanksgiving. Replies resume the following Monday.
Add it once. Take it off on Monday.
The Thanksgiving line above goes in the company signature on Signatoro once, and everyone on the team, including an AI agent sending on the company's behalf, picks it up from there. Swap it back the same way after the holiday.
Turn on the automatic reply and update your signature
Gmail and Outlook each have their own steps to turn on an automatic reply; the holiday out of office guide walks through both. For the signature itself, Signatoro's install guides cover Gmail and Outlook by copy-paste, with no add-in to install. For more Thanksgiving and holiday signature lines, see the holiday email signature templates page, or read about the company email signature that keeps one line current for everyone at once, including the AI agents sending on the company's behalf.
Frequently asked questions
What is a short and sweet Thanksgiving message?
A short and sweet Thanksgiving message says you are away, when you are back, and gives thanks in a single line. For example: "Thanks for your note. I'm away for Thanksgiving and back on [return date]." Keep it to one or two sentences so it reads in a glance.
How do you say office will be closed for Thanksgiving?
State the exact closed dates and when you will reply, and add "in observance of Thanksgiving" if the message is customer-facing. For example: "Our office is closed Thursday, November 26 in observance of Thanksgiving and reopens on [return date]." Plain wording means a reader never has to guess the dates.
What's a good simple out of office message?
A good simple out of office message has three parts: that you are away, the return date, and who to contact if something cannot wait. For example: "I'm out of office for Thanksgiving. I'll answer your email when I'm back." Anything longer tends to get skimmed, not read.
What do you say to your coworkers for Thanksgiving?
With coworkers you can be shorter and warmer than with clients, since they already know your schedule. For example: "Out for Thanksgiving, back on [return date]. Thanks for covering for me." A quick, friendly line is enough.