It can’t be denied that Thanksgiving is one of the greatest holidays of the year. Aside from the delicious food, this holiday is also a time for families to take a step back from their hectic lives, come together, and appreciate all that they are thankful for. Since Thanksgiving is so amazing, why limit it to only one big celebration with your family? Maximize your Thanksgiving celebrations by also celebrating with your friends. A lot of prep goes into hosting the perfect Friendsgiving, but if you follow this guide, you can’t go wrong!
- Schedule Your Friendsgiving
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Friendsgiving is most fun when there are tons of people to celebrate with. Thanksgiving is all about being grateful for special friendships, so don’t be afraid to invite everyone who has been by your side, no matter how long or short you’ve known them. Be sure to send out invites far in advance to allow as many people as possible to attend. Friendsgiving celebrations typically occur in the early evening, in time for dinner, but it can really take place at any time of the day. Be sure to keep a list of who’s attending to make sure you have enough seats around the table for everyone.
However, make sure to follow COVID-19 guidelines in your area, especially those regarding group gatherings. A Friendsgiving can be just as special over Zoom – most video chat applications also allow for a ton of users at a time, so you won’t have to exclude any of your guests.
- Decide Who’s Bringing What
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To make sure your feast is complete, assign each person something to bring. For food, there are so many different routes to take. If you want a traditional Thanksgiving meal, you should definitely plan on having turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pies. If you want to change it up a little bit and stray from the classics, pizza, sushi, chips and guacamole, pasta, and salad are all great options that offer a varied and easy spread. While food is obviously of utmost importance, drinks, silverware, plates, cups and napkins are also must haves. Make sure all of these items are accounted for to make sure your Friendsgiving is complete.
Depending on social distancing guidelines in your area, consider a Friendsgiving celebration outside, if weather permits, with chairs spaced six feet apart. Also, if you are wary of a buffet style meal, having all your dishes pre-portioned is a great idea. If you do a Zoom Friendsgiving, have everyone show off the meals they have made on camera!
- Plan Activities
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While eating is obviously the best part about Friendsgiving, your meal won’t take up the entire night. Having some fun activities planned will guarantee you have a memorable evening. A classicThanksgiving tradition is to go around the table and have everyone say what they are thankful for; though it’s an old tradition, it’s also one of the most meaningful. This quick and reflective activity will allow your friends to recognize your appreciation for each other and reminisce on fun memories together. Some other great Friendsgiving activities can be found here!
If doing a virtual Friendsgiving, check out applications like Netflix Party to stream something with your guests. There are also tons of great options for games to play together online (we’ve all heard of Among Us!)
- Prepare for the Big Day
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A cute fall outfit is essential to a Friendsgiving celebration (and Insta worthy pictures). Be sure to pick out an outfit that reflects your personal style and matches the fall vibes. Here are some super stylish outfits if you need some inspo!
After getting yourself ready, make sure your house is ready. Cleaning your kitchen and setting the table in advance will relieve a lot of stress once your guests begin to arrive. Putting up some fun Thanksgiving decorations will also set the scene. A cornucopia in the middle of the table, turkey decorations, and leaf garlands are all great options!
Also, the music will set the tone for the entire night, so be sure to have a playlist prepared. Here are some great songs to play that will match the vibes.
Finally, it’s important to prepare for the end of the night as well to make cleaning up less stressful. Set up garbage cans around the house so that people can easily throw their plates out when they are done.
Pro tip: you should have to-go containers on hand so that at the end of the night, your friends can take home leftovers.
Thanksgiving is definitely going to look different this year during the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean the celebrations have to be any less memorable. Everyone has different levels of comfort, and that is totally ok! Most of these tips can easily be applied to an online or virtual Friendsgiving, though I hope you have the opportunity to celebrate in-person.
Friendsgiving is one of my favorite traditions with my friends, and with this guide it can be yours too. Planning a memorable Friendsgiving doesn’t have to be stressful if you follow these four easy steps!