Friendsgiving is, in some respects, ten times better than Thanksgiving. Case in point: no crazy relatives are asking you if you’re dating anyone or telling you that your degree won’t make you any money. Regardless, Friendsgiving is just as much work as Thanksgiving. You may ask, “What is Friendsgiving?” Friendsgiving is when you gather all of your closest friends and enjoy a potluck of food. You may also decide to get sappy and share what you’re thankful for (warning: some tears may be shed). It’s an amazing thing that I highly recommend you do with your posse. However, it doesn’t come without its glitches, so I did my Friendsgiving early to help you navigate the waters.
1. Create a shareable document.
In my case, all of my friends that were coming had iPhones, so I stuck with the Notes app. I created a shared note so everyone could add in what they were bringing (so we didn’t end up with endless bread rolls). I would also recommend Google Docs for those friends who aren’t on the Apple train.
2. Make a playlist.
While Friendsgiving should be about good conversation, sometimes everyone enjoys the food a bit too much and an awkward silence can ensue. I would recommend a playlist that has more relaxed, background music at the beginning and more fun, upbeat music at the end. I couldn’t find a specific playlist like this, so I would suggest curating your own using Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, etc.
3. Make sure everyone is contributing.
When looking over what everyone is bringing, make sure that one person isn’t just bringing a small side item while another is bringing four entrees. This is just for the sake of fairness.
4. Set a budget.
Going off of the previous tip, I would set a maximum budget so one friend isn’t spending $60 on their food while another is spending $5. Use your own personal judgment when setting the maximum budget, and keep in mind that some people may have a tighter financial situation.
5. Plan an activity for after food.
In my Friendsgiving, we ate and then eventually went our separate ways. I would recommend planning something fun for everyone to do afterward. Just remember that some friends may be sleepy shortly following dinner (or lunch). Some recommendations are Cards Against Humanity, Family Feud, Uno, Monopoly, etc.
6. Request that everyone stays to clean.
Leaving a huge mess in the host’s home is a sure-fire way to guarantee they never host anything again. Everybody helped to make the mess, so everyone should help clean up. Prior to eating, you should make a short speech about how happy you are to have everyone there and that you would appreciate as much help as possible afterward.
A Friendsgiving celebration is a perfect way to bring all your friends together before they all go to a relative’s house for Thanksgiving. And now, your Friendsgiving will also be planned to perfection!