Scranton Students Celebrate Friendsgiving

Many of us celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November, but what about the third Thursday of November? 

Friendsgiving has become a widely recognized occasion by young adults. Whether it is on the third Thursday or the weekend before Thanksgiving, friends get together and eat some Thanksgiving staples. The way to go for Friendsgiving is potluck style. This means a friend group crafts an excel spreadsheet on a Google Drive, each person signs up for something to bring and young adults cook Thanksgiving food for the first time ever, probably.

From my own Friendsgiving experiences -- and also from asking around -- it turns out Friendsgiving is alive and well at The University of Scranton. Scranton students gathered around off-campus or on-campus tables and indulged in turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and more. What better way to spend time with friends and take a break from the end-of-the-semester stress than to eat a ton of food?

Alexis Ward '20 had a Friendsgiving with her roommates. The group was glad to find a time for them to be together.

“We had (Friendsgiving) because with our schedules being so busy, it’s hard to get the whole friend group together, so we used it as an opportunity to get everyone in the same room and celebrate our friendships,” Ward said.

An even bigger Friendsgiving went on in a nearby apartment.

Zoë Haggerty '20 celebrated Friendsgiving with 15 friends in her company. The group used to spend a lot more time together, but schedules have gotten in the way a little more this semester. Friendsgiving came at the perfect time for them.

“A lot of us were used to having a few classes together per semester, but this semester many of us only had one or two classes together. We also have all been more involved in different clubs and activities, so we wanted to get together to spend time with each other and catch up!” Haggerty said.

Mary McCafferty spent Friendsgiving with Haggerty. She had a great time at the gathering and found it as a stress-reliever during such a busy time.

“This time of the school year gets really busy with finals coming up, so we thought it was important to take time to relax and just spend quality time with friends! Everyone brought some food to share, and we ended up playing games after dinner and laying a ton. It was a great way to take a break from the stress of the semester!” McCafferty said.

Personally, I have attended Friendsgiving with my Scranton friends, and I think it perfectly fits the type of community we have at the University. Scranton provides me with a home away from home, and it also gives me a family away from home.

Friendsgiving helps Scranton students celebrate their Scranton families while also eating festive holiday food. What’s better than that?