Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton’s Thanksgiving plans are still going strong.
A decade after the “Thanksgiving Grandma” invited the then-15-year-old to her holiday dinner in a wrong number mix-up, the pair are still part of each other’s Turkey Day traditions.
In a sweet Instagram post, Jamal, now 25, and Wanda gave a peek at their ongoing Thanksgiving tradition and the full spread of delicious food they shared. In one pic, the pair smiled for a selfie in the sunshine, and in another they held up a pumpkin pie.
One snap showed the duo strategizing in the kitchen for the meal, which included large tins of mac and cheese, buttered corn, mashed potatoes and peach cobbler.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" they wrote in the joint Instagram caption. "Celebrating 10 years of friendship, 100 years of @greengiant_vegetables , and all the memories in between — from selfies to full plates."
Indeed, the decade-long friendship is one that both parties are thankful for.
And earlier this month, they made that clear, captioning a joint Nov. 5 post, “Ten Thanksgivings ago, a simple text brought us together.”
They even gave fans a peek into what would be on the table this Thanksgiving.
"Thanksgiving prep is in full swing,” Jamal wrote in the caption of a Nov. 13 Instagram post. “This year, we’re excited to enjoy some of our favorite side dishes, including a classic green bean casserole with @greengiant_vegetables."
Though the pair have committed to seeing each other every Thanksgiving since their inaugural meeting in 2016, last year's holiday looked a bit different. In Oct. 2024, Wanda—who lost her husband Lonnie Dench in April 2020 due to COVID-19—shared that she was battling breast cancer. However, she was clear that the two would still make an effort to see one another amid her treatment.
“We still plan on getting together for Thanksgiving next month,” she wrote in the sweet post that Jamal shared on X. “As we have every year.”
But it just wasn’t in the cards for them to spend the day together in-person.
“I just recently finished up with chemotherapy, so I’m not 100 percent yet,” Wanda told CNN on Thanksgiving morning last year. “And I live about two hours away from where Jamal lives. And so we decided that this year would be best for my health if I stayed at home.”
But that didn’t stop Wanda and Jamal from celebrating the day virtually.
“We will FaceTime with each other,” she added. “I was looking so forward to meeting his family and having turkey with everybody, but we have to accept things the way they are, and I’m sure next year is going to be so much better.”
The duo’s tradition began in 2016 when Wanda accidentally texted Jamal instead of her grandson Randall Burgoyne.
"Thanksgiving dinner is at my house on Nov. 24 at 3:00pm,” the text read. “Let me know if you're coming. Hope to see you all. Of course that includes Amanda & Justin."
The then-17-year-old responded, "Who is those...," to which Wanda replied, "Your grandma," adding a grandma emoji.
When Jamal asked Wanda to send him a picture identifying herself, she did, and he replied, "You not my grandma."
He added, "Can I still get a plate tho?"
"Of course you can,” Wanda answered. “That's what grandma's do...feed every one."
And the rest, is Thanksgiving history.
Keep reading for a look back at Jamal and Wanda’s sweet as pie Thanksgiving tradition…
2023
The two reunited for a Thanksgiving meal for the eighth consecutive year.
2023
...after teaming up with Airbnb for a promotion in which another guest joined in on the fun. "Our year 8 selfie," Jamal wrote on Instagram. "Thanks for staying with us, Arseni, and for being part of the good in the world this holiday season #airbnbpartner"
2022
The two reunited for the seventh consecutive Thanksgiving.
2021
"Thanksgiving 2021," Jamal wrote on Instagram. "6 years strong."
2020
"5 years strong!" Jamal wrote on Instagram. "Happy Thanksgiving everyone."This marked the first holiday for Wanda without her husband Lonnie Dench. In April 2020, he passed away from COVID-19.
2019
"As promised!" Jamal wrote on Instagram. "Here’s our 2019 update."
2018
Jamal wrote on Instagram, "It’s a tradition now #thanksgiving2018."
2017
After the two reunited for Thanksgiving for the second consecutive year, Jamal wrote on Instagram. "I guess you can say thanksgiving was one for the books."
2016: The Start of a Beautiful Friendship
In 2016, Jamal accepted Wanda's accidental invite to her Thanksgiving dinner, which had meant to text her grandson. "That's what grandma's do..." she wrote, "feed every one."