The Family You Choose

The month of November often conjures traditional images of gathering with family around a table to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. Over the past five years, the idea of friends-as-family has taken root in the form of “Friendsgiving,” which evolved from a gathering of people who found themselves far away from loved ones on the family-centric holiday, into a celebrated Thanksgiving event that’s exclusively for friends. Friendsgiving has become a widely celebrated American holiday in its own right.

Friendsgiving means different things to different people, taking the form of a potluck dinner in someone’s home or, more often, meeting out at a favorite local bar the night before the main feast. For those craving connection around the family-centered holiday, meeting up with friends on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving can be just as important as the traditional family gathering itself. 

That’s because, as a recent article in Nation’s Restaurant News suggests, food is a big part of Gen Zers’ social lives. “They talk about, celebrate and entertain with food,” Fern Glazer writes. Along those lines, Genzinsights referenced a study that suggested that, while Gen Z is particularly savvy on social media, the generation values quality time with family and friends in real life.

So, while many will cook up a traditional turkey and all the fixings this Thanksgiving, gathering spots, including Punch Bowl Social, will be welcoming guests as we always do, for friends — and family — to eat, drink, play games, and enjoy time together, #IRL.