The classic American holiday, Thanksgiving, is a time to indulge in delicious meals, connect with loved ones, and share in the feeling of gratitude while feasting on the famous turkey dinner. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is celebrated with family members, but in recent years, many Americans have chosen to share this holiday with their friends as well. Friendsgiving is the term used to describe the classic turkey celebration but among friends. The term has grown in popularity among the American population, and what once seemed to be simply a trend is now a tradition among many. The term is a popular hashtag on Instagram and numerous TikToks demonstrate exactly what food to bring for this specific gathering. Articles depict what kind of entertainment there should be, and there are even guidebooks on “How to Host the Ultimate Friendsgiving” dinner. Friendsgiving has become so common in today’s society that in a survey from Statista, nearly 20% of Americans said they would be hosting or attending one this year. So where did this celebration come from, starting a pop cultural phenomenon?
According to Merriam-Webster, the term “Friendsgiving” was first used in 2007 on Twitter, but while this may have been the first use of the word online the idea of Friendsgiving had existed years before. In the 1973 “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” the story follows the famous Peanut friends as they come together to celebrate their own Thanksgiving dinner with a fancy meal of popcorn, jellybeans, pretzels, and toast. The movie demonstrates how Thanksgiving doesn’t have to always be the traditional turkey and mashed potato feast and that it can be celebrated with friends as well.
The Peanuts weren’t the only televised notion of Friendsgiving. In 1998 the show “Friends”, aired an episode titled “The One with All the Thanksgivings”. The characters are seen eating together and sharing stories about past celebrations of the holiday that weren’t so pleasant. This is another example of how the media portrayed the idea of Friendsgiving years before the term was coined, making it an older activity than it might seem.
One reason that the term may have surfaced in 2007, could be due to the economics of the country at the time. According to an article from CNN, many individuals from the younger generation had recently moved to bigger cities when the Great Recession hit making it hard to afford a plane ticket home. An issue that still exists today is the dilemma for college students who find it too expensive to travel home for both Thanksgiving and Winter Break. Many think it is more logical to save the ticket home until December when they have the longer break for the holidays.
In 2007, much of the younger generation was unable (or unwilling) to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families and therefore turned to those who were around: friends. It’s also important to recognize that normally friendships share the same interests, values, and political opinions, which can make Friendsgiving a more appealing experience than that of being forced to talk to relatives one has disagreements with.
The concept of this celebration had been around before and throughout the early 2000s, but shockingly the word was only added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary somewhat recently, in January 2020. Even going back all the way through history, during the very first Thanksgiving many Pilgrims were not surrounded by family either as they came as indentured servants or crew members. And while not historically accurate, the classic Thanksgiving story is one where the natives of America and the Pilgrims found friendship and peace over the great feast. This means that Thanksgiving has been associated with friendship since the beginning.
The purpose of Thanksgiving is to reflect on the good things one has and to be grateful for them. Among the many things to cherish in life, friendship is a highly valuable entity. It gives one a sense of connection, community, and love, aspects that unfortunately can’t always be found in family dynamics. Friends are the chosen family that make one laugh a little louder and smile a little wider. That is something to be thankful for so why not celebrate it.
- Hammond, Monica. How to Host the Ultimate Friendsgiving. Independent, Mar. 2020.
- “Infographic: Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or Home Alone?” Statista Daily Data, 23 Nov. 2022, www.statista.com/chart/28817/thanksgiving-plans-gcs/.
- Editors of Merriam-Webster. “What Is Friendsgiving? | Origin of Friendsgiving.”
Merriam-Webster.com, Merriam-Webster, 27 Nov. 2019, www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/friendsgiving-meaning.
- Crane, David, et al. “The One with All the Thanksgivings.” IMDb, 19 Nov. 1998, www.imdb.com/title/tt0583652/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
- Asmelash, Leah. “How Friendsgiving Found Its Place in the Holiday Season.” CNN, 21 Nov. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/11/21/us/friendsgiving-rise-popularity-cec/index.html. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
- Roos, Dave. “What Was Life like Aboard the Mayflower?” HISTORY, 18 Nov. 2020, www.history.com/news/mayflower-journey-pilgrims-america
