10 Friendsgiving Ideas To Make Your Holiday More Memorable
This post is all about Friendsgiving ideas.
The end of the year is fast approaching and the festive seasons are just around the corner. In today’s post, we have all the low down on one of the more recent festive occasions to grace the month of November. Actually, this isn’t a new celebration at all but one that has been in full swing for decades if not since the beginning. I’m talking about Friendsgiving and all the cool Friendsgiving ideas to make this year’s a more festive and fun one!
So, let’s get right into these Friendsgiving ideas. Here is everything you need to know about making merry and memorable moments in this up-coming Friendsgiving.
What Is A Friendsgiving Party?
So, you may be wondering “What’s Friendsgiving?” and why haven’t I been doing this. The truth is, you probably have. As the name implies, Friendsgiving is a supplement of Thanksgiving traditions and meant to be held with the closest of friends.
Thanksgiving is an informal but highly-traditional event where family and friends gather and enjoy a potluck banquet. It is tradition for each invited guest to bring a dish to share with everyone.
But Friendsgiving is a time to gather with your closest friends for more intimate and personal celebrations. Friendsgiving can be held the day after Thanksgiving where the bounty of leftovers can be enjoyed by all invited. Some people also choose to hold a Friendsgiving celebration prior to the day before as a sort of dry run to perfect their culinary masterpieces they will present at Thanksgiving.
But the important rule for Friendsgiving is that there are no rules. This is a celebration to be carried out in whatever way you and your friends see fit. While Friendsgiving may be a spinoff of actual Thanksgiving, the festive spirit, food and gratitude are very much the same. This is an occasion to celebrate life and who better to do this with than your best friends.
READ: 13 Best Friendsgiving Gift Ideas Your Host Will Love
But there are other very good reasons you may choose to throw a Friendsgiving party, for example:
Can’t go home for the holidays? No problem! Gather some friends and families in a similar bind and celebrate with those in town by inviting them for a Friendsgiving meal.
Want to meet people? What better way to get to know people better than throwing a party, building new friendships and serving delicious food.
Start a tradition among you and your closest friends this holiday season.
What Do You Serve at Friendsgiving?
When it comes down to it, the celebration is centered around a classic feast. But what is the traditional Friendsgiving Menu? That’s the great thing about Friendsgiving: the same principles that govern Thanksgiving menus apply here as well, but with a twist.
Because Friendsgiving celebrations personalized to the needs of the situation, here are some things to consider:
READ: 20 Delicious Friendsgiving Food Ideas Your Guests Will Love
Turkey goes to the host — At these dinner parties, the host should be the one to handle the main dishes like turkey. Transporting a turkey can be a major feat and unless one of the guests is feeling up to it, the host of the party should handle this task.
Having said that, there is no reason to stay traditional to the Thanksgiving celebration. If you don’t relish the idea of cooking or feasting on two turkeys this year, consider roasting a lamb leg, duck, pork loin, ham or tofu turkey with stuffing. This could be the chance to get some feedback on that special brisket recipe you have been perfecting.
Side dishes go to the guests — unless you possess limitless energy and the culinary skills of a master chef, and even if you do, the guests should all bring something to demonstrate their own skill in the kitchen similar to a potluck style party. Desserts and side dishes can be based on themes or left to the discretion of the guests. Have them bake a pie or bring appetizers to the party. Those guests that are not eager to present their culinary skills can bring beverages and contribute in other ways.
Here are some Friendsgiving food ideas to bring to a Friendsgiving dinner party:
- pecan pie
- pumpkin pie
- apple pies
- cheesecake
- homemade cranberry sauce
- dips
- fall-flavored ice cream (i.e salted caramel, pumpkin spice, etc)
- variety of nuts
- sweet potatoes
- cake
- variety of cheese
- mashed potatoes
- vegetable dishes
- macaroni and cheese
If you will be celebrating Friendsgiving after Thanksgiving, having everyone bring some of the very best leftovers from the main event is always a good idea. It cuts back on cooking time and is a great way to start conversation.
Don’t forget the booze — Having everyone bring some drinks is usually the best idea. This avoids the considerable cost of alcohol from falling to one person. But the host should be sure to have something on hand from the very beginning. This could be a bottle of wine, beer or cocktails depending on the tastes and preferences of the guests.
Send invites — If you’re hosting a Friendsgiving party, don’t forget to send your Friendsgiving invites. Send paper invitations through the mail so they can rsvp, but make sure you don’t invite more than you can handle. It’s best to make a guest list first. You can also invite friends over to help with the prep work.
Friendsgiving Ideas
While there are certainly no rules to planning a Friendsgiving celebration, it is a perfect opportunity to celebrate life in the way only best friends can. Here are some great and fun Friendsgiving ideas for adding scope and dimension to your Friendsgiving celebration.
Let’s get to it!
1. Have a Theme
Friendsgiving is the time to celebrate the things that delight, inspire and unite. So, themes under one of these categories would be perfect Friendsgiving ideas. This could be a Great Gatsby Ball complete with champagne, silks and velvets. Or, enjoy ethnic foods and garb from locations around the world. It could even be a FRIENDS themed party like the one above I found on Pinterest. You make the rules, so make them fun.
READ: 10 Fun Friendsgiving Theme Ideas That’ll Up Your Party Game
2. Have a Sign Up Sheet
While you may feel like the stickler for doing so, in the long run your party and guests will appreciate making lists, assigning duties and organizing. Having a sign-up sheet is a great way to start as everything can be added to this chart and available to anyone who wants to see. Make this easier on yourself by doing this all in digital mode first. Then you can make it look just right with some ornate and stylish elements.
3. Have Party Games
If you are inviting people who will be meeting other people for the first time, why not do something fun and entertaining. Party games abound and you are sure to find the perfect selection that will keep the guests engaged and upbeat. If the gathering is small, games like Bingo, Life, Clue or Risk may be a good option.
For larger, more energetic gatherings, consider charades, Bang! Or a Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament. Considering the theme of your party, you may also consider a Tarot Card Reading, Bobbing for Apples or even Musical Chairs.
READ: 20 Fun Friendsgiving Game Ideas That’ll Keep Everyone Entertained
4. Don’t forget about drinks
The drinks provided to the guests will make or break the party so it is a good thing to think of this in advance. If wine is the beverage of the event, make sure that someone who knows about selecting wine is given the task of choosing. The right wine selection delegate will know exactly which wine will pair perfectly with the dishes being served. You can also prepare a signature cocktail or have one of your guest do it. Along these same lines, make sure you have the correct number of cups available for all the guests you are inviting. If not, see if any of the guests can bring some of those as well.
5. Label the dishes
With the exciting range of dishes arriving from various homes and feasts, it can be hard to immediately identify what dish is being served — and what ingredients. To protect your guests with peanut allergies, it is a good idea to provide small place cards at the Friendsgiving table that identify the dish being served and possibly a little about the ingredients used. And, this way you won’t have to answer the same set of questions more than once.
6. Let the menu stray
While some people love it, others can get burned out on twice the turkey, twice the stuffing and twice the pumpkin pie. If you feel that this will be the case with you and your guests, you may want to think about swapping out the menu for something a little more interesting. You may choose to include a Caribbean spread, Luau or Italian night.
7. Set out a bunch of cozy items
Throughout the U.S., the temperatures are dropping at this time and it’s a good time to go cozy with your Friendsgiving decor. Consider that many of your guests may tire themselves out from all the fun and may want a relaxing place to rest. With this in mind, consider laying out plenty of blankets, pillows, sheepskins and cushions so that everyone can be comfortably accommodated. Furthermore, this is a great way to set the tone for the festive season.
Note: in those areas that are not especially cool at this time of year, now is as good a time as any to crank up the AC unit.
8. Prepare the Atmosphere
This is one of my favorite Friendsgiving ideas on this list! Part of setting the scene will be making sure the whole home smells just right. To really set a warm and appealing tone, try to DIY your own seasonal scents by making a Crock Pot Fall Potpourri. Click the image above to get the exact recipe. Be sure to prepare it hours before your guests arrive.
9. Music
By this time, you will already have a good idea what kind of party you are planning on throwing and are all set to make a playlist. Make sure to include some lively tunes for the high-energy portions of the celebrations and some smooth and appetizing melodies for meals. Share the list on Spotify with your friends and this way everyone can contribute a song they feel will set the tone nicely.
10. Do Something Crazy
Probably the most important of all Friendsgiving ideas, find your way of bringing a little extra joy to the occasion. This could be with a room filled with balloons or a balloon banner, a special dessert, poetry recital or even a few karaoke songs. Make sure that you do something fun and unexpected that will make this occasion one to cherish for a lifetime. You can also have them gather by the TV to enjoy a Thanksgiving movie. There are only a few movies associated with it, unlike Christmas, but a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is one childhood movie everyone will enjoy.
READ: 16 Inexpensive Friendsgiving Decor Ideas That Don’t Look Cheap
I hope you enjoyed this post on Friendsgiving? Try doing a Friendsgiving this year and give these Friendsgiving ideas a try!
Which of these Friendsgiving Ideas would you love to add to your party? Share your thoughts by commenting below!
