What’s Up with Teenagers and Friendsgiving?
I love my friends. And I love Thanksgiving. But, as a parent, when the holidays roll around, I’m not trying to add anything to my already miles-long to-do list. That’s why I have never done the “Friendsgiving” thing. It seems fun in theory, but who has time for even more planning, cleaning, meal prep, expenses, etc.?
The kids seem to think we do, apparently.
If you’re the parent of a teenager, there’s a chance your child has approached you about hosting or attending a Friendsgiving, or a gathering thrown by a group of friends, often pot luck style, sometime near Thanksgiving. For some reason (probably TikTok, let’s be real here), these types of celebrations are suddenly on every teenager’s November social calendar.
A friend’s son recently offered to host the whole thing at his house the night before Thanksgiving, giving his mom less than a few days’ notice and requesting half the apartment be cleared for the party. She actually laughed – until she realized he was serious.
Psst… Check out Where to Eat Thanksgiving Dinner in NYC
My own son is going to a dinner party just after Thanksgiving at a friend’s house. I’m on casserole duty there. After chatting with a few other parents of teens, I began to realize that this whole Friendsgiving thing is more popular with young people than I thought.
When I was younger, the fun was all about Thanksgiving Eve. We would party until late into night and then fill our bellies to our heart’s content the next day. Oh, to have that energy again… This generation, on the other hand, doesn’t seem concerned with partying the way mine did. These kids are 16 going on 36. Or is it just me?
I’m just going to be honest. The last thing I would want to do the week of Thanksgiving is host a roomful of loud, hungry teenagers who will inevitably leave behind a mess for me in their wake.
But, sticking to honesty, it’s actually a very sweet tradition. And, unlike when I was a teen and everyone’s parents had no idea where they were or what they were doing, it’s quite nice to know exactly what your kid is doing and who they are with – especially when what they are doing involves more apple pie than underage drinking.
Maybe Teen Friendsgiving is just another sign of the times; the landscape on which young people connect is changing. With communication always just a few taps away, we should probably celebrate their desire for some IRL facetime.
So, if you’ve decided to go ahead with hosting your child’s Friendsgiving feast, make it easy on yourself. First, ask if you can just order some pizzas and call it a day. Then, when they say no, let them know that it must be pot luck style and that food should come ready to eat. Keep it to a time limit and make sure that all guests have let your teen know what they are bringing in advance. Be sure your teen knows they are on cleanup duty when the party is over, and setup duty before it starts. Lastly, stay nearby in case of any cooking disasters, possible alcohol use, or over-usage of the numbers 6 and 7.
The point is not to bug them so much that they never want to do it again, just enough to ensure someone else hosts next year. Unless Friendsmas becomes a thing, in which case, get ready to do it all over again next month.
Happy Friendsgiving!
Psst… Check out 22 NYC Christmas Tree and Holiday Tree Lightings 2025
