DrinksGiving (November 22nd, 2023)

Heading home on the evening before Thanksgiving is an American tradition. And in preparation for spending the weekend with Aunt Martha and her pumpkin pie, the night before is often spent at a bar, catching up with old friends who are also back from out of town. In some cities, DrinksGiving is a more popular day for drinking than St. Patrick’s Day or even New Year’s Eve!

History of DrinksGiving

While Thanksgiving has been around since 1621, and it has been celebrated on a Thursday in November since the 1800s, the tradition of DrinksGiving is much newer. It made its appearance naturally, at least several decades ago, when American students would come home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday and then meet up with friends the night before to get a drink.

An important time of coming home, DrinksGiving always takes place on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. The idea is that it’s the perfect time for old friends from school to hang out at bars and pubs to catch up with each other and have a drink before spending the weekend with family.

Plus, some people really struggle with the idea of spending the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with their families, so going out for drinks the night before might also be a bit of a coping mechanism!

The tradition of DrinksGiving has been around for many decades, but the clever term ‘DrinksGiving’ seems to have been coined sometime around 2007. Sometimes called Blackout Wednesday or Thanksgiving Eve, DrinksGiving is one that can be celebrated but should also come with some safety precautions and awareness. In fact, in some cities in the United States, this is the night of the year that has the highest statistics for drunk driving.

So have some fun and be careful out there when celebrating DrinksGiving by raising a glass and catching up with old friends!

How to Celebrate DrinksGiving

Get involved with enjoying DrinksGiving with some of these ideas for celebrating:

Meet Up with Friends for a Drink

Have fun reconnecting with old friends who are also home for Thanksgiving by celebrating DrinksGiving! It’s a fun way to catch up and find out what other people have been up to in their time away. Some people like to turn this day into a pub crawl so that they can hit the different bars where their long, lost friends might be hanging out.

Enjoy DrinksGiving Safely

Those who plan to head out to the bar for drinks should make sure they have a plan for how they will get home. Whether a designated driver is assigned or the cab company or Uber is on speed dial on the phone, it’s important that DrinksGiving is celebrated safely so that everyone gets home without any incidents or accidents!

Invite Friends Over for DrinksGiving

Not so much into the bar scene? That’s okay! DrinksGiving can just as easily be celebrated at home by inviting friends over and serving them drinks while offering an opportunity to catch up on the latest happenings.