Can't Stand the Term "Friendsgiving"

[Anonymous]

I remember the term Friendsgiving being around 25 years ago, it’s certainly not new.

On the other hand, I’ve always hated “dinner party” it reminds me of “playdate”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know the actual origin of the word Friendsgiving, but for me, it was a Thanksgiving meal that we did with people who had no family and were not traveling home for Thanksgiving in college.

We did this on the actual day in grad school 25 years ago—those not traveling got together for a Thanksgiving potluck.

I think the modern version is sweet—just talked to a teen who did Friendsgiving recently. It’s a nice excuse for friends to eat a home-cooked meal together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to an awesome one last night. Much better than the real holiday.

+1 We had one last Thursday with 49 people, because we are actually friends and want to celebrate together. It was a potluck. On Thanksgiving, I'll be with dhs side of the family and they are terrible cooks/don't follow safe food handling practices. Next Friday, I will have a Friendsgiving for my little family and 3 friends will be there. We will have a tradional Thanksgiving dinner. These friends spend the actual holiday volunteering, so we look forward to relaxing and eating together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Friendsgiving the bar night? (Day b4 thanksgiving) Is that what this means?

No. You don’t want to know what the kids call that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't explain why for the life of me, but I find this word absolutely awful. Maybe it's because it seems like it was invented solely for the purpose of using it as a social media hashtag, or maybe it's because that every time I hear an adult use it I want to ask them if they're actually 14 years old. What's wrong with simply referring to Thanksgiving as Thanksgiving, regardless of whether it's spent with family or friends? Does everything need it's own lame naming convention these days?

It’s not like your feelings are valid. Who cares what you like or don’t like

+1 Although I wish I could be you such that this type of problem is bothering you so that it reaches the level of something you whine about.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been celebrating Friendsgiving for decades. I love it and prefer it to Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the formal dinner we’re obligated to have. We have to make allowances for all sorts of things we normally wouldn’t, because everyone has to be included. Our bisexual cousin goes back in the closet in front of our conservative uncles. The only ones who really adore it are the kids and elderly.

Friendsgiving is Thanksgiving for the family we choose. It’s also where we do the food we love. The stuffed lobster, truffled pasta. We give thanks for our friendships that have been like family through the decades. We rotate houses but all pitch in with cooking and cleaning. We don’t have to roll our eyes at gender disparity of men with their belts undone, fallen asleep over football. The children love it also, and I hope they find their own friends with whom to celebrate Friendsgiving when they become adults.

[Anonymous]

It’s also saying thanks for the friends you have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s also saying thanks for the friends you have.

I like the idea of Thanksgiving, the family we're born with and marry into for the most part. I like the idea of Friendsgiving too, the friends we choose getting together for something bigger and more festive than a dinner party. you do you, OP.

[Anonymous]

NP here with two points:

1. Why is this a topic?
2. The word Friendsgiving is pretty lame

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s also saying thanks for the friends you have.

This. It’s not that hard to understand what the word is getting at.

I think this is probably about people who are bitter they don’t have many friends.

[Anonymous]

I so thankful that my life is not lacking in so many different aspects that I would need to lash out online about people having friends and being close with them. You sound miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I so thankful that my life is not lacking in so many different aspects that I would need to lash out online about people having friends and being close with them. You sound miserable.

NP here. I'm not seeing the OP as someone who's miserable with no friends, but rather saying that the term Friendsgiving itself is what annoys her. For what it's worth, my close friends and I do a "Friendsgiving" every year, but like the OP, I find the term annoying, so we don't call it that. It's simply Thanksgiving, just as our family Thanksgiving is called Thanksgiving as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't explain why for the life of me, but I find this word absolutely awful. Maybe it's because it seems like it was invented solely for the purpose of using it as a social media hashtag, or maybe it's because that every time I hear an adult use it I want to ask them if they're actually 14 years old. What's wrong with simply referring to Thanksgiving as Thanksgiving, regardless of whether it's spent with family or friends? Does everything need it's own lame naming convention these days?

Put down the hate that is uselessly weighing down your soul.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been celebrating Friendsgiving for decades. I love it and prefer it to Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the formal dinner we’re obligated to have. We have to make allowances for all sorts of things we normally wouldn’t, because everyone has to be included. Our bisexual cousin goes back in the closet in front of our conservative uncles. The only ones who really adore it are the kids and elderly.

Friendsgiving is Thanksgiving for the family we choose. It’s also where we do the food we love. The stuffed lobster, truffled pasta. We give thanks for our friendships that have been like family through the decades. We rotate houses but all pitch in with cooking and cleaning. We don’t have to roll our eyes at gender disparity of men with their belts undone, fallen asleep over football. The children love it also, and I hope they find their own friends with whom to celebrate Friendsgiving when they become adults.

I liked Friendsgiving until I read this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s also saying thanks for the friends you have.

This. It’s not that hard to understand what the word is getting at.

I think this is probably about people who are bitter they don’t have many friends.

This is a pretty unkind thing to say and not in the spirit of Thanksgiving OR Friendsgiving. If some people dislike Friendsgiving because they don't have many friends, that's very understandable. A person like that deserves empathy and kindness, especially as we enter a holiday season where being lonely or isolated can be especially hard.