2020 has been a year like no other- full of uncertainty, change, anxiety, sadness, and so many other mixed emotions. I think I can speak for most people when I say that we have had some tough times this year. However, the rough patches of 2020 have made me extra grateful for the good things in life! I know without the support of my friends, this year would have been very difficult, but they helped me find that light in life again after quarantine.
With that being said, it is important to celebrate the people and things in life that you are grateful for. With Thanksgiving and the end of the semester coming up, a great way to say goodbye before the break is to host a Friendsgiving! “Friendsgiving” is a term people use to describe a mini Thanksgiving spent with your friends, as opposed to the typical Thanksgiving dinner with your family. There are so many ways to make this event cute, fun, and thankful for everyone!
For starters, you are going to need to decorate the table. Stores like Michaels, Target, and Home Goods are great places to find cute decor! You can scatter mini pumpkins, pine cones, gords, and any other fall plants throughout the table to give it that fall vibe. You can also find festive, but affordable, cutlery like maroon napkins, fancy-looking plates/cups, the perfect tablecloth, and candles to give your table a warm feeling! Lastly, you can make it a bit more personalized by adding name tags on pumpkins or cute little cards at each placemat, so you know where everyone is sitting.
Now to the best part of Thanksgiving…..the food! A great way to get everyone involved in the feast is to have each friend bring a dish! It can be a lot of work to host Thanksgiving and cook an entire meal, so instead, share the love and let everyone bring their speciality! From juicy turkey, to crispy mac n cheese, to fluffy mashed potatoes, get your taste buds ready for some delicious food! Plus, food always tastes better when it is made by someone you love!
Now that the decor and food are set up, it is time for some fun!!! There are so many different things you can do to make your Friendsgiving full of laughter and smiles. To make some memories you will never forget, set up a mini photo booth! Go to an art store like Michaels, AC Moore, or even Target, to buy or make Thanksgiving props for you and your friends to take pictures with. You can even find templates online to print out yourself and make your own props that way!
This holiday is truly about being thankful, so a fun and meaningful idea you could do is a Secret Santa kind of thing, but Friendsgiving version! You can set everyone up with one person, and each friend makes a card for their person saying what they are thankful and grateful for about them. This would be a super cute idea to make everyone feel special and you could even add their favorite candy or picture with the card!
There are so many fun, cute, and memorable ways to make your Friendsgiving memorable! I highly recommend organizing one of these events with your friends before you go on break to celebrate your amazing friendships and gratitude for one another!