Viral Thanksgiving strangers set to continue tradition for 8th year, tease ‘great surprise’

The Thanksgiving dinner that started with one text message and took the internet by storm is going strong for an eighth straight year.

Jamal Hinton revealed his highly anticipated holiday plans and said he will attend the November dinner gathering at one-time stranger Wanda Dench’s house, but hinted at a “surprise” this time around.

“Thanksgiving around the corner and I am still receiving text from random number! Year 8 plans are set with a great surprise!!!” Hinton posted to X on Monday.

The unlikely bond between Hinton, 24, and Dench, 66, began in 2016 when the latter sent a text message to a phone number that was previously used by her grandson.

“Thanksgiving dinner is at my house,” Dench said in the message, accompanied by the date and time of the annual dinner. “Let me know if you’re coming. Hope to see you there.”

Instead, Hinton, then 17, received the text and was confused over the random text, asking for photo proof of the woman who claimed to be his grandmother.

Dench obliged and sent Hinton a photo of her middle-aged white woman self at work, to which the Arizona teen sent a photo of himself.

“You not my grandma,” Hinton responded alongside his photo. “Can I still get a plate though?”

“Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone,” Dench replied in the now viral exchange.

Hinton and Dench have since celebrated every Thanksgiving together in some form.

Hinton and Dench also routinely met with each other outside of Thanksgiving dinner as more family members joined the traditional photo, including Hinton’s girlfriend Mikaela and Dench’s husband Lonnie.

In April 2020, Hinton announced that both Dench and her husband were diagnosed with COVID-19, and Lonnie was hospitalized with pneumonia.

A week later, he told his social media followers about Lonnie’s death.

The pair are business partners in BlackMP, a mineral water company, and Dench has been a contestant on “The Cube” with Dwayne Wade.

The unique story of Hinton and Dench’s friendship will soon hit the big screen in a film titled, “The Thanksgiving Text.”

“I forget every year then get excited to see it again ever year,” one user on X said.

“Love this!! Every year I look forward to seeing updates and love seeing your friendship continue to grow!!” another commenter added.

“This is my favorite thing to look forward to every year,” a third comment read.