As soon as Halloweekend comes to an end, I immediately begin to get into the Thanksgiving and Christmas mood. While I am definitely more of a Christmas girl, I always love Thanksgiving because of the family time and general gratitude. And of course, you can not forget watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a staple in my family. Although there are many amazing aspects to this holiday, one of my favorite traditions is Friendsgiving.
In case you aren’t familiar with Friendsgiving, it is simply a gathering of friends where everyone brings a favorite dish and enjoys their time together. Whether that be a traditional Thanksgiving feast or even just a pizza, it is time to see your friends and remember how grateful you are for each and every one of them.
Although I have been doing this tradition for a few years now, being away from home makes it so much more special this year. As I get to the end of my first semester of college, I have realized how much I have missed my friends from home. So, as soon as we suggested a Friendsgiving this year, I was incredibly excited to be able to spend time with them all together again.
The best thing about Friendsgiving is the variety of food that my friends always choose to bring. Some of my favorites that my friends usually bring include empanadas, flan, musubi, and stuffing. It is the best opportunity to really reconnect with my friends and learn about their new lives. With the majority of my friends at other colleges, I can’t wait to hear about their different experiences!
For those who are unsure about what you could bring to a Friendsgiving, I have many ideas! If you’re going the “traditional” route, things like stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, or green beans would all be great options. If your friends’ gathering is more “bring a favorite dish”, as mine is, I would recommend bringing a dish that means something to you! A dish that has cultural or traditional significance to your holidays is also really special. I love getting to share in other people’s traditions in that way. In my family, we have noodles every Thanksgiving, which is a German tradition. While I have not heard about many others celebrating in this way, it is very special to me and I like sharing that with others. Another great idea for a fun and easy Friendsgiving is to have a charcuterie night. With this, people could bring various boards such as a sweet board, a salty board, and even a drink board. Honestly, just get creative with your recipes and it will be so fun to see what everyone decides to create!
No matter what kind of food you bring, I hope this inspires you to have your own version of Friendsgiving, even if it is just you and a bestie getting together for a meal. Sharing your gratitude and love is always special and important, especially on Thanksgiving!