Grandma and teen eat together after Thanksgiving mix-up

A legendary Thanksgiving mix-up involving a grandmother inviting the wrong teenager to dinner has blossomed into a holiday tradition.

Last year, Wanda Dench accidentally sent a text message to Jamal Hinton inviting him to her house for Thanksgiving dinner which became an overnight internet sensation.

When the confusion was cleared up, the then 17-year-old cheekily asked if he could still reserve his spot at the dinner table, and the grandmother from Mesa, Arizona, was true to her word. 

They sat down for dinner after he travelled the short distance from Tempe back in 2016, and this year, they kept the convention alive.

Wanda Dench (right) and Jamal Hinton (left)  sat down together for a Thanksgiving feast after the grandmother invited the teen to lunch by accident (photo from last year)

Dench gave Hinton a big hug when he arrived at her home in Mesa, Arizona, last year

Dench gave Hinton a big hug when he arrived at her home in Mesa, Arizona, last year

‘It was really nice having everybody here,’ Dench told the Arizona Republic. 

‘We got to laugh about last year and reminisce about how it all blew up on our phone and how I had to change my number. We had a laugh and a good time.’

The only downfall last year was that Hinton, now 18, forgot to bring the pumpkin pie, but he made amends this year by supplying the traditional Thanksgiving dessert. 

The teenager said: ‘The world is becoming a better place than it used to be,’ Hinton said Saturday. 

‘I’m loving it. I love that you don’t have to know someone or know their background to be nice to them.’

A week after taking the internet by storm last year, Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton sat down together for their Thanksgiving feast.

Dench accidentally texted Hinton inviting him to her family’s traditional holiday lunch in Mesa, Arizona.

The 17-year-old student replied saying the grandmother had texted the wrong person, but asked if he could: ‘still get a plate though?’

Dench replied almost immediately, ‘Of course you can, that’s what grandmas do’ and the invitation was officially accepted.

Hinton stayed true to his reservation, with Dench hugging her ‘honorary grandson’ immediately as he walked up to her house.

The 17-year-old was thrilled with the meal, and that he had accidentally become linked with such a nice person.

Wanda Dench thought she was sending her grandson details about her upcoming Thanksgiving dinner earlier this month when she accidentally texted Jamal Hinton

Wanda Dench thought she was sending her grandson details about her upcoming Thanksgiving dinner earlier this month when she accidentally texted Jamal Hinton

The 17-year-old was in class when he realized someone else's grandmother was texting him

But when he asked if he could still come to dinner, Dench said he was more than welcome

The 17-year-old was in class when he realized someone else’s grandmother was texting him. But when he asked if he could still come to dinner, Dench said he was more than welcome

Hinton was so surprised by Dench's kind invitation that he took screenshots of their conversation and posted it on his Twitter account

Hinton was so surprised by Dench’s kind invitation that he took screenshots of their conversation and posted it on his Twitter account

‘I’d never seen her before and She welcomed me into her home,’ Hinton said, according to ABC15.  

‘That shows me how great of a person she is, I’m thankful for people like that.’ 

Dench told the network she was glad to have played a part in spreading a positive message at the start of the holiday season.

The much-anticipated dinner came after the accidental tweets went viral when they were shared on social media.

The grandmother and her 'honorary grandson' posed for pictures together after tucking in to the massive meal

The grandmother and her ‘honorary grandson’ posed for pictures together after tucking in to the massive meal

'That shows me how great of a person she is, I'm thankful for people like that,' Hinton (right) said after the holiday lunch with Dench (left) and her family

‘That shows me how great of a person she is, I’m thankful for people like that,’ Hinton (right) said after the holiday lunch with Dench (left) and her family

Twitter users were delighted by Dench’s sweetness, and the post was shared more than 200,000 times.

Hinton was especially touched by Dench’s kindness.

‘With all the Donald Trump going on and all the racial comments going on, it’s kind of good to see there’s still good people out there,’ he said at the time.

Hinton has now been given an ‘open invitation’ to future Thanksgiving dinners at the Dench household.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk