Although we all have something that we appreciate about the holidays, there is something interesting coming from the younger generation. It seems that 7 out of 10 young Americans would rather have a ‘Friendsgiving’ than a traditional thanksgiving.
In order to come up with those numbers, some 2,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 39 were polled. 38% of those said that they prefer celebrating the holiday as Friendsgiving.
In addition, 62% said that they don’t attend or host a traditional Thanksgiving celebration.
The poll was conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Sabra. It took a look at the festive habits of the respondents and found that 58% would rather have Friendsgiving than Thanksgiving because they didn’t want personal questions from the family.
Two out of 5 of those who responded made the choice because they didn’t have to hold back around the dinner table and 38% didn’t want to worry about offending a relative.
That is why it isn’t shocking that some 28% were planning on having their own Friendsgiving this year. Of that number, 67% were looking forward to having one in an upcoming year.
Even though Friendsgiving seems to be popular, it isn’t getting rid of Thanksgiving altogether. 4% said they will still have traditional dishes on the table and over 25% said they might include guacamole or hummus.
There is a lot of tradition when it comes to the food but 4 out of 5 still struggled to know what to cook on that special day. The poll even showed the 44% were intimidated by some of those dishes.
“Young Americans may prefer Friendsgiving over a traditional Thanksgiving, but this trendy holiday should be a joyful get-together and not a source of stress,” said Ryan Saghir, Director of Marketing at Sabra. “Most Friendsgiving are potluck-style, so it is easy to see why one out of four guests choose to keep things stress-free and bring hummus to the table.”
Those who were nervous about preparing the dishes said that cooking was the most stressful part, especially the turkey. Over half of those who were nervous about cooking said the turkey was the most intimidating.
It isn’t all about the main dish because some young Americans were also nervous about serving side dishes and desserts.
Over half were afraid of the pumpkin pie and 39% said they were stressing over apple pie. Even cherry pie was making people sweat under the collar.
Considering how much stress is associated with the holidays, it’s little wonder that some dishes would not make the menu. Around 59% said they would go for a potluck dinner rather than a traditional dinner.
Other forgotten dishes include dessert (56 percent), salads (51 percent), sides (46 percent) and dips (42 percent).
Some things that would not be taken off the menu include the wine and other booze. It seems that they are often forgotten when everyone brings a dish.
“You can forget the booze, but please don’t forget the dips!” added Ryan Saghir, Director of Marketing at Sabra. “All joking aside, a fun activity is to set up a ‘flight’ of various hummus flavors and try pairing each variety with a different wine or beer. For example, try pairing Roasted Garlic with a zesty Pinot Grigio, or cut the heat of Supremely Spicy with a hoppy IPA.”
Top five dishes at Friendsgiving
Turkey: 54 percent,
Mashed potatoes: 45 percent,
Sweet potatoes: 39 percent,
Beef tenderloin: 39 percent,
Gravy: 36 percent
Top five most intimidating traditional Thanksgiving dishes to cook
Turkey: 53 percent,
Pumpkin pie: 52 percent,
Green bean casserole: 47 percent,
Apple pie: 39 percent,
Cherry pie: 38 percent
Top five dishes Americans dread bringing for potluck Friendsgiving
Main dish: 48 percent,
Dessert: 46 percent,
Salad: 44 percent,
Sides: 39 percent,
Dips: 29 percent
Top five dishes were most commonly forgotten at potluck Friendsgiving
Main dish: 59 percent,
Dessert: 56 percent,
Salads: 51 percent,
Sides: 46 percent,
Dips: 42 percent
Top five Thanksgiving desserts
Apple pie: 53 percent,
Pumpkin pie: 48 percent,
Sweet potato pie: 47 percent,
Cherry pie: 35 percent,
Pecan pie: 26 percent