Hosting a Friendsgiving is a unique way to tell your friends just how much you love them and how grateful you are that they make your life so sweet.
With turkey day fast approaching, hosting a Friendsgiving, or Thanksgiving with your besties, doesn’t need to be fancy, stressful, or scary. In some ways, it can be the best of both the holiday and celebrating with friends. It’s the ultimate moment for bestie bonding with the food and drinks of your choosing without all of the tired, old family traditions.
So what all does a Friendsgiving include? It can be as elaborate or as simple as your squad.
Pick a day, either the honored holiday itself or a surrounding date, and send invitations. The invites can be a simple text message in a group chat, a chain of phone calls, or actual invitations on fall-themed stationery or cards. Keep it in the tradition of your friend’s group.
Once you have the guest list confirmed, determine your crew’s Friendsgiving mood.
Does everyone want to dig into grandma’s handwritten cookbook and bring a potluck dish with the long-time southern traditions of deep-fried turkey accompanied by heaps of creamy mac and cheese, steamy mashed potatoes, and a beloved green bean casserole? After all, throughout Mississippi, Thanksgiving is known as the butter holiday.
Or is the vibe more of a perfect nibble or bite of killer appetizers such as bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms, or artichoke and spinach dip?
Will there be sophisticated cocktails or just beer and wine? What about nonalcoholic spirits also known as mocktails? Or maybe all of these?
And then there is to dessert or not to dessert. You know your group well enough to know if you should take a fluffy pumpkin or crunchy pecan mini-pie approach or a gluten-free, non-dairy, no-sugar dessert path.
Once you have the day, food, and time down, plan a fun Friendsgiving-themed activity. Have everyone text you a photo of a cherished time spent all together at a party or event. Print the images with a smartphone printer, then arrange the photos on a foam board with fall-themed decorations. At the end of the night, circle up and share why each snapshot warms your heart, and don’t forget the accompanying stories.
And if all of this sounds out of sorts for your group of besties, there’s an even simpler solution-go out. The beauty of living in the Magnolia State is the vast number of restaurants that are open for holidays such as Thanksgiving. Everything from locally owned eateries to the coastal casinos will be serving up something special on Thanksgiving and the best part about a Friendsgiving is making it your own.
