SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — To some, Friendsgiving may just be another excuse to celebrate with your friends.

But who’s complaining? Something about sharing a meal with your companions is undeniably appealing.

A mash-up of the words “Friends” and “Thanksgiving,” Friendsgiving has been gaining popularity since the mid-2000s.

According to Google Trends, people didn’t start searching for the term Friendsgiving until late 2012. By 2020, it was officially recognized and added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Back when the 2007 recession hit, many young adults moved to more urban locations to find work. They were away from their families during the holidays, and to save the cheer, they rallied among each other.

Some of the top cities where Friendsgiving was searched were Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Jose, and Chicago.

However, this type of gathering likely began way before it was ceremonially named.

The holidays can be very stressful, so having a friend-oriented evening to look forward to can be the highlight of some people’s Thanksgiving.

“There’s less pressure to perform for your family members since you’re just with your friends. You can relax instead of giving grandma something to brag about,” said college graduate and Friendsgiving attendee, Katie Spinks.

The food brought and shared at Friendsgiving doesn’t always have to be the “normal” Thanksgiving dishes. Usually, Friendsgivings are potlucks. There is no shortage of possibilities that you could be placing down at the table. The meal could turn into a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, filled with popcorn, toast and jellybeans.

According to New York Post, these are the top five most popular “classic” dishes during Friendsgiving:

  • 54% of people like turkey
  • 45% of people like mashed potatoes
  • 39% of people like sweet potatoes
  • 39% of people like beef tenderloin
  • 36% of people like gravy

However, people may bring chili, chicken wing dip, fun seasonal desserts, mac n cheese, and more.

So when is Friendsgiving formally supposed to happen? There is no specific date that it falls on, but usually, the time frame is sometime between the week and the weekend before Thanksgiving.