The Nine Stages Of A Classic Minnesota Goodbye Explained

If you’ve ever tried to leave a holiday gathering in Minnesota, you already know it’s never as simple as grabbing your coat and heading for the door. The legendary Minnesota Goodbye can turn a quick farewell into a full-blown, nine-step endurance event—and we’re all guilty of it.

Why the Minnesota Goodbye Happens More During the Holidays

It's a real phenomenon and one you might encounter sometime soon, especially since you might be getting together with family and friends for the holidays this season. Perhaps the tendencies of the Minnesota Goodbye come pre-wired into our DNA. The science behind it is unsettled, but either way, you'll likely encounter it before the calendar flips over to 2026.

How the ‘Midwestern Goodbye’ Became a Regional Tradition

We should note that while the Minnesota Goodbye IS a thing here, it isn't limited to just families in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. My family is a master at it, and I grew up behind the Cheddar Curtain over in Wisconsin, so it's prevalent there, too. In fact, this story from Odessy.com calls it the 'Midwestern Goodbye.'

You know what I'm talking about, right? It's the long, drawn-out phenomenon when trying to leave a family event or function that painfully and uncomfortably extends the process of saying goodbye. In fact, it stretches a regular goodbye into one that is much longer than it really needs to be.

The 9 Classic Stages of the Minnesota Goodbye Explained

It typically occurs with family, especially during the holidays, but can also happen with a group of friends, although that's less likely. See if you can identify the following 9 stages of the Minnesota Goodbye below.

And while the Minnesota Goodbye is a frequent occurrence during the holidays in the North Star State, there are some other things you're bound to encounter, as well. Keep scrolling to check out 11 Things You'll Only Hear at a Minnesota Thanksgiving, too.