Thanksgiving is a designated time for Americans to gather with family and express gratitude over a meal. People across the continent also celebrate with chosen family, and for some, this means putting together a Friendsgiving.
The International Club at SRU is hosting their own Friendsgiving event on Nov. 26 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. The event is free for students and will provide food.
RockOUT!, an LGBTQ+ group on campus, also hosted a “chosen family Thanksgiving” on Nov. 20.
“Thanksgiving can be a rough time for a lot of the queer community, so we’d like to provide what we can of a Thanksgiving Dinner experience to those who might not get it at home,” an email to the general body said.
The term “Friendsgiving” was first seen in the form of a tweet in 2007, according to Merriam-Webster.
Historians believe the concept existed long before the word. It is speculated to have been influenced by Thanksgiving episodes of the show “Friends” in the 1990s.
It has since become a popular tradition for college students, including those at SRU.
One SRU student, a junior named CJ, said the event is something he does with his college friends every year.
“Not only do I love the food, but I love having all my friends under one roof. It is kind of a tradition now so it’s very important to all of us,” CJ said.
Some college students will opt for less traditional food, with some online emulating the feast from “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.”
CJ, however, prefers to make classic Thanksgiving food.
“I clear out all the furniture in my apartment and just put a large table in the center of the room for all the food,” they said. “I always make the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, but all of the friend group brings a unique side that their family traditionally makes.”
Another SRU student said they are providing paper towels this year due to time and money. Students have found ways to make the dinner work on a college budget.
“It’s honestly not that expensive…40-50 bucks max, just have friends bring a side,” CJ said. “Always a good time: beer, football and food. Can’t wait for it”
