55 Pc of singles are planning "Drinksgiving" casual encounters this Thanksgiving Eve
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND: With Thanksgiving only a few days away, Americans are heading home to spend the holiday with family and friends - and to perhaps indulge in a "hometown hookup" while they're back in town.
"Drinksgiving" is a popular term for the night before Thanksgiving, and the event is considered to be one of the biggest drinking occasions of the year, with bars packed and alcohol sales spiking. Thanksgiving Eve is also an occasion where 55% of singles are "somewhat likely" or "very likely" to have a casual encounter with someone they meet that night, according to a new survey by dating app HUD App.
"Thanksgiving is a lonely holiday for many people, especially if they're far from home or their friends are away visiting their own families," says Katie Wilson, HUD App's Communications Director. "Connecting with someone can help ease that feeling of aloneness and make the holiday fun and memorable instead."
53% of survey respondents also admitted they'd hooked up with someone from their hometown when they were visiting for Thanksgiving.
"Being back in your hometown for a family-focused holiday can bring out the nostalgia as well as the stress," says Wilson. "So you might jump at the distraction of no-strings-attached fun with your high-school crush, or a friend you haven't seen in years, knowing that in a few days you'll be back to your normal life."
Wilson says she has personal experience with the "hometown hookup" aspect of the holidays, and that women especially shouldn't be embarrassed to have casual fun. "When I'd come home to the town I grew up in, there was a certain bar my former high school classmates would hang out at when we weren't with our families," she says.
"I would run into someone I used to know whom I hadn't thought of as attractive before. Maybe they’d had a glow up, or the fun of the night was creating the perfect vibe, but I really enjoyed it. It was also entertaining to see the guys from high school who wouldn't give me the time of the day back then, now desperately trying to get my attention.”
"It was liberating and empowering to explore that side of myself. I think all women should be encouraged to date the way they want to - whether they are looking for some casual fun over the holidays with someone familiar, or simply wanting to be with someone new."
