Friendsgiving started as an informal or formal gathering to spend time with your friends when you couldn’t be with family. Many times it was because people were living in different cities from family members. It was a holiday about sharing with other people, typically in large groups, so it makes sense people wanted to create this holiday with friends.

Friendsgiving may have started with long distant family separations, but it has skyrocketed into another thing people celebrate in addition to Thanksgiving. Many agree the best part about Friendsgiving is that there’s no required etiquette. It is part of what makes Friendsgiving, Friendsgiving. You don’t even need a turkey! you can bring any sort of meal to the table! 

Students have their own opinions on when the best time to have Friendsgiving is if you already have family plans for actual Thanksgiving.

“I usually have it before Thanksgiving, but during Thanksgiving break,” senior Morgan Rogers says.

“Like a week before Thanksgiving on a weekend,” senior Kerry Camas says. 

Because turkey isn’t a central part of Friendsgiving, friends bring a variety of dishes.

“Everyone should bring their own dishes and have it kind of Thanksgiving related,” senior Sicily Matsen says.

“I think anything would be great. Just bring whatever,” junior Noah Green says.

Students have very mixed reviews on what to bring. Some say keep it simple with friends, while others want Friendsgiving to have the same vibe as Thanksgiving. Regardless of what Friendsgiving means to different people, one thing is for sure: Friendsgiving is another way to connect with people and share in a good meal, traditional or nontraditional!