For those unable to travel home for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving has become a great substitute. Friendsgiving allows you to still celebrate who and what you’re grateful for without the hassle of a huge traditional Thanksgiving feast.
Here are some ways to redefine your celebrations and make them more unique.
Recipe swap
Almost every year, the same people bring the same dishes. Organizing a recipe swap is a fun way to spice up your Friendsgiving celebration. Instead of a regular potluck where everyone brings a dish they’re known for, challenge everyone to try something new.
I was known for my stuffed mushrooms, so giving up my recipe wasn’t easy. My good friend Avery was tasked with taking over this duty, and it was so entertaining to watch her try to navigate the recipe. I was flooded with phone calls and texts throughout the week about what type of seasonings to get or how long should they be in the oven.
This made me so excited to see what she was able to come up with before the dinner. It added a twist to what is normally a boring potluck.
Awards
Giving out awards at your dinner is another good idea. You can either pick one person to choose the winners or make all of your friends vote. We did this one year for a Christmas gathering, and it was a hit.
I am the proud winner of the “Chipotle’s biggest fan” award. The categories can be as serious or as silly as you and your friends want them to be. We also had awards for most obsessed pet parents and most likely to ghost the group chat. This adds a fun and competitive aspect to dinner.
Themed dress code
Another way to make Friendsgiving a bit more interesting is to have a themed dress code. Making your friends follow a theme is always interesting. I love seeing how my friends interpret the theme at hand and what they put together.
I’ve never done this for a Friendsgiving celebration, but I have thrown themed costume parties. My favorite themes we’ve done were wig night, Hawaiian luau and gender swap night. It’s always so fun to see your friends outside of their day-to-day clothing.
“What are you thankful for?”
Every year, I make everyone at the table, yes everyone, say three things they were thankful for this year. I always take this opportunity to get a little sappy and thank my family and friends for being there for me. This is something my mom had always made us do, and as a kid I hated it. I would count the number of people ahead of me and prepare. Each time it felt like I had completely forgotten everything and everyone I was thankful for.
I like to do this with my friends now. It’s easy to ignore or not acknowledge how important your friends are to you, so it’s a nice way to remind them. My friend group has known each other for almost 10 years now. Making everyone open up and be vulnerable always leads to a sweet moment.
Thanksgiving TV marathon
A newer tradition I’ve adopted is watching every Thanksgiving themed sitcom while preparing dinner. My boyfriend and I did this for the first time last year and I loved it. Shows like “Friends,” “New Girl,” “How I Met Your Mother” and so many other sitcoms have such funny Thanksgiving episodes. Usually on Thanksgiving, people want to watch football. As much as I love football, it doesn’t get me in the holiday mood.
My friend group did something similar during Christmas time. Every year, we’d watch one of the Christmas episodes of “The Office.” This is a fun way to gain some holiday spirit.
Friendsgiving is all about spending quality time with friends who feel like family. Whether you’re trying out new recipes, sharing old traditions or starting new ones, Friendsgiving is a time to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
