Friendsgiving 2026: More Americans Plan to Host, and Thanksgiving Gatherings Are Getting Bigger

Friendsgiving keeps growing. With Thanksgiving three weeks away, CivicScience reported on November 5 that 21% of U.S. adults have already hosted or attended a Friendsgiving this year, or plan to, up from 18% in late October 2025. The share jumps to 38% among Gen Z adults (18 to 29) and 26% among millennials (30 to 44).

A separate Chicory survey of 800 U.S. adults, published in September, found an even higher share, 30%, planning to host or attend a Friendsgiving this season, rising to 52% of 18 to 29 year olds and 40% of 30 to 44 year olds, and falling to 10% of people over 60. The two surveys asked slightly different questions at different times (CivicScience measures who has done it or plans to as of early November; Chicory asked about plans for the whole season), but they point the same way: Friendsgiving is now a regular fixture, especially for younger adults.

Thanksgiving gatherings are getting bigger again

CivicScience found 82% of Americans plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, in line with last year. Most will keep it close: 33% plan to celebrate with immediate family only and 31% with a smaller group of family and friends than usual. But 29% plan a large gathering of family and friends, up from 24% last year.

Convenience is creeping in. Cooking everything from scratch is still the most common plan at 43%, but 18% now expect an entirely pre-made spread, up from 13% in 2024. Chicory found something similar for hosts generally: 50% use ready-to-eat or shortcut products, and 43% ask guests to bring dishes.

It's not just Thanksgiving: the party season starts now

Chicory's survey suggests the holiday party calendar is filling up early. 71% of people say their first holiday gathering of the season happens in November, and 45% expect to attend or host three to five gatherings between November and January. Beyond Thanksgiving, 35% plan to host or attend a holiday party such as an ugly sweater or white elephant party, 34% a New Year's Eve party, 27% a company holiday party and 26% a cookie exchange.

Budgets are tight, though: 55% of Chicory's respondents say they're budgeting more carefully this season. That helps explain the rise of potluck-style Friendsgivings and smaller, simpler hosting.

What this means if you're hosting Friendsgiving

Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26, so most Friendsgivings will land on the weekends of November 14 and 15 or November 21 and 22. With so many competing invitations this season, timing matters.

1. Send invitations this week. Two to three weeks' notice is the sweet spot for a casual dinner. For a November 21 Friendsgiving, that means now.
2. Ask for RSVPs with a deadline. A firm headcount tells you how much food to buy. Our guide to holiday party RSVPs has wording that gets replies.
3. Make the potluck explicit. If guests bring dishes, assign categories (sides, dessert, drinks) in the invitation so you don't get six pies.
4. Ask about dietary needs. With plant-based options nearly doubling on shopping lists, ask in the RSVP rather than guess.
5. Plan quantities. For a full meal, see how much food per person, or use the calculator below.

Friendsgiving invitation wording you can copy

• "Friendsgiving at ours! Saturday, November 21, 6 PM. We'll do the turkey; you bring a side. RSVP by November 16."
• "Grateful for you. Join us for Friendsgiving on November 22 at 2 PM. Potluck style, so tell us what you're bringing!"
• "Pass the stuffing (and the gossip). Friendsgiving, November 14, 7 PM. Reply by Tuesday so we know how many chairs to find."

A digital invitation makes the potluck easier to organize, because the date, address, map and RSVP all live in one link you can drop into a group chat. You can set up a free RSVP page in a few minutes, or browse Eventic invitation designs.

About the data

CivicScience figures come from its ongoing consumer polling, published November 5, 2026. Chicory figures come from its 2026 Holiday Consumer Survey of 800 U.S. adults, published September 17, 2026. Chicory is a food-marketing company and CivicScience sells consumer research, so treat the numbers as indications of direction rather than exact counts.