What’s similar to Thanksgiving in theme and name but you don’t have to wait until the last Thursday in November to celebrate?
“Friendsgiving” is a combination of the words “friends” and “Thanksgiving.”
The term first appeared on the internet in 2007 but it did not become widely used until 2013. Since then, its popularity has grown. Merriam-Webster added the word to its dictionary in 2020.
People have different reasons for celebrating Friendsgiving, including living far away from relatives and not being to go home for Thanksgiving because of work, school, weather, or health reasons.
The gathering offers a chance for friends to get together before everyone goes their separate ways for the holiday.
There is no special day for the celebration, but it usually happens the week before Thanksgiving.
Popular shows from the 2000s had Thanksgiving episodes that bring up the idea of Friendsgiving, including “Friends,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “Gilmore Girls.”
Seventh-grader Katie Kadner shared a memory of Friendsgiving.
“During COVID, we had Friendsgiving because I did not spend time with my friends as much,” she said. “They all came over and we played hide-and-go-seek and hung out while eating. We still play together a lot.
