Thanksgiving

Grandmother and man she accidentally invited to Thanksgiving in 2016 adding two guests to this year's holiday dinner

Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton are partnering with Airbnb to invite two more guests to their holiday dinner table in 2023

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A grandmother in Arizona and the stranger she accidentally invited to her Thanksgiving dinner in 2016 are set to celebrate their eighth holiday together — but this year, they are inviting two more people to the dinner table.

Their story went viral when Wanda Dench texted then-teenager Jamal Hinton, telling him the time of her Thanksgiving dinner. 

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Dench told the 17-year-old that dinner was at her house at 3 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2016. 

He responded by asking who was texting him and she responded, “Your grandma.” 

After the initial confusion and back-and-forth, Hinton jokingly asked, “Can I still get a plate tho?”

The rest of the story became an annual holiday tradition, and a lasting internet sensation. 

This year, the pair are inviting two more guests to their Thanksgiving dinner through a promotion with Airbnb. 

The Airbnb booking invites two more strangers to spend the holiday with Dench and Hinton at the grandmother's Arizona home, paying homage to the tradition, now in its eighth year.

"Exciting news, guys – our Thanksgiving year 8 plans are with you! With @airbnb's help, we’re hosting you and a friend at Wanda's home this year," Hinton wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Bookings opened at 10 a.m. PT on Tuesday.

“Our unexpected friendship may have started accidentally, but our love for meeting new people has kept it going strong almost a decade later,” the listing reads. “That’s why this year, we’re expanding our annual tradition and inviting new guests to spend Thanksgiving with us at Wanda’s home – because that’s what grandma’s do: feed everyone.”

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