Friendsgiving

[ frendz-giv-ing ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a gathering of friends to celebrate Thanksgiving with a feast, falling near or on Thanksgiving Day, in contrast to the traditional celebrations that typically involve family.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Friendsgiving¹

First recorded in 2005–10; friends ( def ) + (Thanks)giving ( def )

Example Sentences

Whether you call the upcoming holiday Friendsgiving, Slapsgiving, the Feast of Feasts — or just, you know, Thanksgiving — this year, you can be thankful that there is plenty of TV to keep you company.

From New York Times

Right after Halloween, Ashley Guerra started being inundated with invitations — for Friendsgiving, for holiday parties and for New Year’s Eve.

From Seattle Times

He plans to host a screening of the movie “Wonka” and have a “friendsgiving” meal with service members and their relatives.

From Washington Times

He plans to host a screening of the movie “Wonka” and have a “friendsgiving” meal with service members and their relatives.

From Seattle Times

The company celebrated with a “Friendsgiving” party at the Beverly Hills mansion in November, which featured dancers in gold costumes gyrating inside clear globes floating on its pool and guests like Ms. Abdul and Perez Hilton.

From New York Times

More About Friendsgiving

What is Friendsgiving?

Friendsgiving is an informal name for a gathering of friends around the time of the Thanksgiving holiday, which is traditionally celebrated with family.

Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada that is traditionally observed with a family gathering centered around a large meal. It is observed in the U.S. on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada on the second Monday of October.

Though some Friendsgiving gatherings may be held on Thanksgiving Day, they are often held on other days near the holiday, especially the day or night before. In this way, Friendsgiving is often celebrated in addition to the traditional Thanksgiving gathering—the idea is to have one gathering with family, and another with friends.

Since many people travel back to their hometown or family home for Thanksgiving, it is often an opportunity for people to get together with their old friends. This often involves an informal get-together or a party, but in some cases it includes a large meal much like the traditional Thanksgiving feast. This practice became so popular that it started to become known as Friendsgiving.

Example: Paul and Kim host the best Friendsgiving—I look forward to it just as much as the regular Thanksgiving gathering.

Where does Friendsgiving come from?

The first records of the word Friendsgiving come from around the early 2000s. The word is simply a combination of friends and Thanksgiving, which has been used as the name of a holiday since the 1600s.

Since traditional Thanksgiving gatherings have a reputation for being the scene of arguments between extended family members, some people view Friendsgiving as a drama-free version of the holiday.

Did you know ... ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with Friendsgiving? 

• friends
• giving
• Thanksgiving

What are some words that often get used in discussing Friendsgiving?

• gathering
• party
• get-together
• meal
• before

How is Friendsgiving used in real life?

Friendsgiving is not an official holiday, but rather an informal name for a gathering of friends around Thanksgiving.

Friendsgiving 2018

📍Phoenix, AZ pic.twitter.com/FOr8kA8MpD

— Yaph (@yaphif) November 20, 2018

I have been waiting for Friendsgiving 2019 since friendsgiving 2018 and I am so happy that it's here now

— mohuya 🇧🇩 (@labyrinthave) November 27, 2019

A year ago today was my Friendsgiving & it was one of my all time fave memories 🥺 take me back

— ⋆ Sarah ⋆ (@sarahrfranco) November 23, 2020

 

 

Try using Friendsgiving!

True or False? 

Friendsgiving is the name of an official holiday.