The internet’s favorite Thanksgiving tradition is now in the double digits. The Arizona couple who went viral after a mistaken teXt brought them together, Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton, celebrated their 10th holiday meal this year — proof to millions who have followed their story that the connection remains as cozy as ever.
How A Wrong-Number Text Led To An Annual Tradition
The friendship started when Dench sent a text message to what she thought was the number for her grandson. Hinton, a teenager who had accidentally received the message, asked if the offer was still open. Dench didn’t think twice, effectively welcoming a new guest to her table and setting a tradition in motion for every Thanksgiving since.
Photos of that initial meal and every reunion since helped turn a mix-up into a meaningful routine. Their annual check-ins have become a comfort watch for social media, where audiences regularly count on them to post a new snapshot and vow to keep the tradition alive.
A Social Media Story That Stands the Test of Time
In a market for attention whose currency is ephemeral memes, the Dench–Hinton lineage is an anomaly. Their updates send ripples of goodwill through X, Instagram and TikTok regularly — a reminder of the enduring traction of simple kindness. And even after Dench had her account hacked earlier, Hinton kept steadily posting the facts, letting people connect to their story.
Most U.S. adults now use social platforms, according to Pew Research Center — a reach that allows wholesome narratives to travel far beyond the place they began. The Dench–Hinton friendship works online not because it’s sensationalistic, in other words, but because it’s relatable: It is an invite extended and accepted and then honored — year after year.
Why This Tradition Resonates Across Generations
Thanksgiving is when Americans come together as a community more than at any other time, perhaps even more than Christmas. AAA has projected that well over 55 million people took to the roads and skies in recent holiday weeks, a reminder of just how far many are willing to go for a meal. The Dench–Hinton reunion taps into that same urge to convene, with an intergenerational table atmosphere that may resonate in many real households.
That connection also falls in line with guidance from the U.S. Surgeon General on social connection. Citing research, the advisory says isolation is tied to poorer health outcomes and that meaningful relationships can be a buffer. Strong social connections have been linked to reduced risk for things like heart disease by 29 percent and stroke by 32 percent, explaining why stories of enduring friendships feel particularly life-affirming.
For older adults, groups like AARP have long emphasized the mental and physical benefits of continuing to connect. Dench and Hinton’s tradition demonstrates how a single invitation can snowball into a support network that fortifies both the giver and the receiver, while encouraging others to do their own reaching out.
From Viral Moment to Real-World Impact a Decade Later
It started as an impromptu exchange; now it’s a cultural touchstone. Their adventures have been widely reported by major outlets, and a Netflix film project to dramatize their story was announced, indicating how thoroughly the narrative has burrowed into public consciousness.
They have also teamed with brands to take the feast up a notch — including a partnership with Green Giant for this year’s spread.
But the basics persist: a communal table, a photograph to record the moment, and an oath to come back.
In an age of breakneck churn, their 10th Thanksgiving together serves as a modest yet sturdy proof point that generosity scales. One text message begat a seat at the table; now, a decade later, it’s a tradition that millions feel invited to watch — and quietly, in their homes everywhere, to join.
