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A poll of 2,000 Americans – aged 18–38 – found 68 percent say celebrating Friendsgiving is their preferred method of engaging in the autumnal celebration.
And results revealed 62 percent say they don’t enjoy hosting or even attending a traditional Thanksgiving.
Conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Sabra, the survey examined respondents' festive habits and uncovered that 58 percent prefer Friendsgiving to a traditional Thanksgiving because they get to avoid personal questions from the family.
Another two in five respondents enjoy a Friendsgiving over a traditional Thanksgiving because they don’t have to bite their tongue around the dinner table – while 38 percent don’t have to worry about offending a relative.
It’s no wonder then that 28 percent of the young people surveyed plan on hosting their own Friendsgiving this year.
And, of those planning on hosting their own celebration, 67 percent are looking forward to hosting their Friendsgiving this upcoming year.
However, not all Thanksgiving traditions are thrown out the window at a Friendsgiving. Forty-four percent still expect the traditional Thanksgiving dishes to show up on the table at their next Friendsgiving, while more than a quarter of guests switch it up by bringing hummus or guacamole to the event.
With traditional Thanksgiving dishes expected on the table at Friendsgiving, it’s no surprise that four in five struggle to know what to cook for their Friendsgiving or traditional Thanksgiving meal.
In fact, 44 percent of those surveyed reveal they are totally intimidated by cooking certain traditional Thanksgiving 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 Friendsgivings 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.”
Of those who feel beads of sweat dripping down their faces before preparing a dish for their Friendsgiving, the dish that leads to the most stress for respondents is the turkey. Over half (53 percent) of those who are intimidated to cook a traditional Thanksgiving dish reveal turkey to be the most intimidating to prepare.
But it’s not just the main event that causes stress for young Americans when preparing their Friendsgiving menus: Desserts rank high as well.
Over half (52 percent) say pumpkin pie is feared while 39 percent stress over preparing the perfect apple pie. And another 38 percent get sweaty just thinking about making cherry pie for their next Friendsgiving.
As there is so much stress surrounding the holidays, it’s no surprise if some dishes are forgotten. In fact, 59 percent of those surveyed have forgotten a main dish at a potluck-style Friendsgiving or traditional Thanksgiving.
Other forgotten dishes include dessert (56 percent), salads (51 percent), sides (46 percent) and dips (42 percent).
However, young Americans are not likely to forget the wine or alcohol as just a third of those studied revealed the booze to be the most commonly forgotten item at a potluck Friendsgiving or even traditional Thanksgiving.
“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 5 DISHES AT FRIENDSGIVING
1. Turkey 54%
2. Mashed potatoes 45%
3. Sweet potatoes 39%
4. Beef tenderloin 39%
5. Gravy 36%
TOP 5 MOST INTIMIDATING TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING DISHES TO COOK
1. Turkey 53%
2. Pumpkin pie 52%
3. Green bean casserole 47%
4. Apple pie 39%
5. Cherry pie 38%
TOP 5 DISHES AMERICANS DREAD BRINGING FOR POTLUCK FRIENDSGIVING
1. Main dish 48%
2. Dessert 46%
3. Salad 44%
4. Sides 39%
5. Dips 29%
TOP 5 DISHES MOST COMMONLY FORGOTTEN AT POTLUCK FRIENDSGIVING
1. Main dish 59%
2. Dessert 56%
3. Salads 51%
4. Sides 46%
5. Dips 42%
TOP 5 THANKSGIVING DESSERTS
1. Apple pie 53%
2. Pumpkin pie 48%
3. Sweet potato pie 47%
4. Cherry pie 35%
5. Pecan pie 26%
