How to Host the Perfect Friendsgiving

It’s about that time in the semester where the weather's getting colder, the homework is piling up, the social calendar is taking a toll on the body and everyone is more than ready to go home. We’re dreaming of sitting in front of the fireplace with our family, watching football and enjoying some home cooked meals. With this break comes the best home cooked meal of all, too— Thanksgiving! Who says you have to wait until the 23rd to have some warm turkey and pumpkin pie? Before Thanksgiving break rolls around, you should have a pre-Thanksgiving with your friends, better known as a Friendsgiving. Below, you can find some tips to help you have a successful Friendsgiving that will make the wait for break that much shorter.

Potluck Style

Our college aged friends don’t exactly have the cooking skills—or the kitchen space— of your mom, aunt, grandma or whomever hosts your family Thanksgiving. This is why it’s necessary to have a potluck style Friendsgiving, where everybody brings a dish to share. A great way to do this is with a google doc that lists all of the Thanksgiving classics— stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, and more— and allows people to sign up for what they want to bring! This way, you can be sure to have all of your favorite dishes available without having to make them all yourself.

Change It Up

Thanksgiving with your family is the time for tradition, so why not spice up your Friendsgiving dishes? On the Google Doc, apart from the classics, you can list things like buffalo chicken dip, spinach artichoke dip, bacon wrapped asparagus and even more creative appetizers. With everyone bringing a dish, there’s room to have some more unique plates, making Friendsgiving that much more special.

Keep it Casual

Getting together with a bunch of your friends for dinner is a totally different experience than sitting around the table with your cousins and grandparents. Instead of having a formal, sit-down dinner, why not make it a casual buffet? This way, people can eat what they want when they want, and you don’t run into the problem of not having enough table space in your cramped apartment or dorm’s kitchen for all of your friends.

Make New Traditions

The thing that makes holidays so special is that they come around once a year, laying the groundwork for traditions to be made. By having Thanksgiving dinner with a new group of people, you are paving the way for new traditions to be made as well. Maybe you play a fun new board game, or have a contest to see who can create the best whipped-cream picture on their pumpkin pie. It would also be fun to go around and share your own family’s Thanksgiving traditions, which could make for some great stories.

. . . But Keep the Old!

Friendsgiving might not be conventional, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t keep around some of the old traditions you love as well. Going around and saying what you’re most thankful for may seem tired, but sharing with your friends might get you totally different answers than sharing with your family. It will keep the spirit of Thanksgiving alive and growing as well!

Share the Clean Up

Everybody knows that the worst part about hosting a party is the responsibility of cleaning up. This is why sharing the clean up is better, and a lot more efficient! Have a friend bring a bunch of trash bags, and after dinner everybody can go around and pick up some trash. That way, the host isn’t left with a big mess to clean up right before Thanksgiving break. They’ll also be more inclined to host Friendsgiving next year!