It is a time to gather around the table, enjoy a delicious feast and enjoy quality time together. For some, Thanksgiving is a time to be with family. For others, friends are family. Over the years the Thanksgiving holiday has evolved and many Americans, particularly millennials, have begun celebrating Friendsgiving. A Friendsgiving is often held the week of Thanksgiving and holds the same values and traditions as Thanksgiving, but is celebrated with friends. Among millennials, Friendsgiving has grown more popular than traditional Thanksgiving dinners as a less formal way to enjoy the holiday. The idea of a Friendsgiving is a much more informal dinner compared to Thanksgiving, with people usually bringing a dish to pass and it can be either homemade or store bought. For millennials and college students who might not cook as much, it's a low-stakes way to gather friends over shared foods.

Evan Loken, a sophomore at DePaul University attened a friendsgiving gathering. He bought mashed potatoes, one of his friends made the turkey, and cranberry stuffing. Loken attended his first Friendsgiving at a friend's apartment this year, one a week before the official holiday. Someone else brought pumpkin bread and the green beans and there was apple pie that was store bought.

In an Atlantic article, Matthew Dennis, a University of Oregon professor emeritus who studied the history of Thanksgiving, points out that holiday celebrations are always evolving. Dennis proves this idea of a holiday celebration evolving through discussing Halloween. In the article he mentions how since the 1990's Halloween has evolved into a holiday for adults even though it is meant for children.

The origins of celebrating friendsgiving is unknown, but many people think that this celebration started as a result of the television show "Friends." One of the episodes that may have inspired Friendsgiving was when Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe all hosted a Thanksgiving dinner together instead of celebrating with their families. Another example of Friendsgiving is with the Thanksgiving special "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." In the special, Charlie plans a last-minute Friendsgiving feast with some help from friends Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock. The group put their own spin on the traditional holiday dishes, instead feasting on buttered toast, jelly beans, pretzel sticks, and popcorn.

"Friendsgiving is taking away the pressure of Thanksgiving," said Loken. "It has all the fun and all the food but it is not like stressful pressure of awkward family." - Evan Loken