Thanksgiving may be for family, but Friendsgiving is where the fun happens.
Last year, my roommates and I decided to host a Friendsgiving get-together at our apartment. Little did I know this would become a tradition and one of my favorite ones. I want to spend this time sharing some tips on how to host a memorable Friendsgiving!
Pick a Date Early
It’s especially important that you choose the date of your get-together early. Send out the invites with the date, location, and time so that you can see who will attend and who will not. People have all sorts of different schedules so knowing this information ahead of time will help people decide whether to make plans or not.
The Vibe
Cozy & casual? Formal & fancy? The vibe of your Friendsgiving should be predetermined, and you should address the vibe on he invite as well. The vibe can be determined by décor, food, drinks, and attire. Last year, we did our Friendsgiving closer to Christmas break, so we decided our attire would be cozy Christmas PJs. Honestly, we’ll probably keep it the same this year because almost everyone owns Christmas PJs, and besides, who doesn’t love to be comfy?
Guest List
A guest list is also crucial to planning Friendsgiving. You want to have an idea of who you want to invite. This can help you become more mindful when it comes to planning the menu, space to host, and seating arrangements.
Potluck or Hosted
Last year, my friends and I decided to do potluck-style but typical Thanksgiving foods. Just because it is called Friendsgiving doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have traditional Thanksgiving foods. It’s up to you what you want to have. Some benefits I would say to having it be potluck style are that the cost would be lower per person, and it allows everyone to pitch in their own dishes. With it being more of a hosted style it a benefit of that would be that one person would be in control and would allow for more cohesion.
Menu Ideas:
Starters: veggie tray, charcuterie boards, soups
Mains: turkey, ham, lasagna
Sides: garlic mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, maple glazed carrots, green bean casserole
Desserts: pumpkin pie, apple crisp, cheesecake Â
Drinks: Non-alcoholic (cider, infused water, soda) Alcoholic *21 plus* (sangria, spiked cider, cranberry mimosas) Â Â
Setting the Scene
When hosting a Friendsgiving, you want to really set the scene. Depending on the vibe you choose, you may decide to set the scene in different ways. For example, if you choose to do a cozy fall vibe, you may want to decorate according to that. This could include fall napkins, mini pumpkins, and color schemes including forest green, orange, and red. If you really are feeling ambitious, you can even create a playlist to play lightly in the background.
Make it Fun
Lastly, making it fun will make your Friendsgiving memorable. Nobody wants to show up to someone’s house just to eat and leave. Be creative and have some activities such as board games, trivia, just dance, painting, or even a gratitude jar.
I really hope you take some of my tips and choose to host your own version of Friendsgiving. No matter what the vibe is or how many people attend, it is a great way to spend time with each other and make these memories.