The holidays offer the perfect opportunity to host your friends and express gratitude for the people in your life who make every gathering special. This year, whether it’s your first-ever Friendsgiving or an annual tradition, create a celebration to remember with StoryPop’s 8 Friendsgiving tips for throwing the best event for your besties!

‍

What is Friendsgiving?

Over the last two decades, Friendsgiving has become a popular tradition across the United States. Unique traditions have developed around Friendsgiving, from potluck-style dinners to themed activities that make each gathering special. This celebration usually happens in November around Thanksgiving Day, but can also take place closer to Christmas or even in January after schedules clear. Where the actual holiday of Thanksgiving often entails a meal with family, Friendsgiving — as the name suggests — is a chance to have a similar meal and celebrate a time of thankfulness with friends. This expansion of the original holiday just brings even more joy to the season!

‍

Who Should Host Friendsgiving?

Hosting Friendsgiving can be handled by anyone in your friend group. Factors you may want to consider include:

• Location: Is one friend’s house more centrally located and within convenient driving distance for everyone?
• Space: Does one friend have more open space or room in their house to accommodate all the guests and food? Does someone have a larger table to provide a place for everyone to sit and eat?
• Time and Energy: Is one friend available for the full day in order to prepare for hosting (setting up the table and chairs, cooking dishes that take a long time such as a turkey, etc.)? Be sure to consider whether they will be hosting Thanksgiving for their family, as not everyone will have the bandwidth to host multiple events in a short span of time.
• Experience: Are any of your friends skilled hosts with experience throwing dinner parties?

If more than one of your friends is able and willing to host, you can always create a rotation and trade off each year.

‍

Tip #1: Choose a date for your Friendsgiving that works for everyone.

The holidays are typically the busiest time of year between family gatherings, office parties, and other seasonal events. In order to find a date that fits everyone’s schedule, start the Friendsgiving conversation with your potential guests as early as mid-October. Create a group poll using an app or website to decide on the best date and ensure everyone has marked their calendar. Send invitations or a reminder text at least a week or two in advance so guests have plenty of time to plan.

‍

Tip #2: Plan the Friendsgiving meal well ahead of time.

For many reasons, it’s in your best interest to start planning your Friendsgiving evening at least a couple of weeks in advance. Clarify whether the host is preparing the entire meal or if everyone is bringing something. If you’re having a potluck-style meal, encourage each guest to contribute a dish or help with preparation. Create a group chat to share ideas and recipes. Make sure each person knows what dish they are responsible for bringing and keep a master list to ensure that all aspects of the dinner are covered. When organizing your menu, consider planning each course: appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts, and drinks.

Anyone who is cooking will want to visit the grocery store as early as possible. Around the holidays, the ingredients for typical Thanksgiving dishes will often sell out and be more difficult to find. If you are responsible for more than one item, have a plan that accounts for when you’ll need to start cooking certain dishes and how long they need to be in the oven or on the stove.

‍

Tip #3: Get creative with the dishes you serve.

While the menu for many Friendsgiving events centers on staple holiday foods like turkey or ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie or pecan pie, etc., feel free to think outside the box and offer some unexpected foods that you and your friends love. Ideas include homemade pizzas with all your favorite toppings, cake or cupcakes instead of pie for dessert, crock pot cheese dip and tortilla chips — the possibilities are endless!

Looking for a new recipe? StoryPop has you covered. Check out our recipes page for ideas that are tasty and easy-to-make.

‍

Tip #4: Ensure you have adequate seating and table space.

As mentioned above, for a successful Friendsgiving, the host will need to have enough space for everyone to sit and eat. Ideally, it’s great if everyone can share the same table, which can be achieved with either one long table or several smaller tables lined up and covered with a tablecloth. Consider whether you will be serving your dishes in the middle of the dinner table, or if you will lay out your meal buffet-style somewhere else, like the kitchen or an additional table. Also check that you have enough chairs for everyone, and if not, ask guests if they can bring additional folding chairs.

‍

Tip #5: Decide whether or not to have alcohol at your Friendsgiving.

A fun Friendsgiving dinner can be had with or without drinking adult beverages, but if you have a strong preference either way, be sure to let your guests know. If skipping the alcohol, be sure to have other fun beverages available like non-alcoholic eggnog, hot chocolate, cider, or a variety of sodas. For a Friendsgiving where alcohol is served, consider mulled wine, seasonal cocktails, or a BYOB request. Be sure to offer non-alcoholic alternative drinks to cater to the preferences of everybody attending.

Browse StoryPop's cocktail recipes for some boozy beverages your friends will love!

‍

Tip #6: Plan entertainment for your guests.

Your Friendsgiving food may be the focal point of your event, but don’t forget that guests will need something to do before and after eating. You can have options on hand like board games, holiday movies, or craft supplies.

For a unique and memorable Friendsgiving experience, plan a role playing story game from StoryPop! Players step into character roles and use social interaction to achieve objectives while exploring an immersive scenario. Browse a variety of settings and genres to select the game that your group will find most engaging. These themed party games give your guests a fun and exciting activity to enjoy while spending time connecting with one another. You can even take the theme of your role playing game and use it to inspire your Friendsgiving menu, décor, and more.

‍

Tip #7: Decorate for a festive atmosphere.

Elevate the holiday cheer by decorating your home for the event. To create a cozy and warm atmosphere, consider placing candles around your space; their gentle light will enhance the festive mood and make your gathering feel more inviting. Depending on when you are hosting your dinner, you might opt for fall or Thanksgiving decorations (think leaves, turkeys, etc.), winter holiday decorations, or — if you decide to throw a theme party with a StoryPop game — put up decorations that set the scene.

‍

Tip #8: Prepare a way to send home Friendsgiving leftovers.

Like a typical Thanksgiving meal, after hosting Friendsgiving, you’re likely to have tons of leftovers from the good food you and your friends have cooked. Keep your friends fed for days to come by having plenty of takeaway containers ready to go. You can find lots of disposable plastic or aluminum containers at your local grocery or dollar store, or for a more eco-friendly option, look for biodegradable containers or use regular dishes covered with foil or plastic wrap.

‍

Make Your Friendsgiving a Gathering to Remember

For many people, celebrating Friendsgiving has become an important part of their holiday season. Enjoy this chance to spend quality time with good friends and be thankful for all the supportive relationships in your life.  Whether it’s your first Friendsgiving or you’re hoping to make your tradition even more special, these tips will help you throw a Friendsgiving that your guests will be talking about for months to come – and will look forward to year after year!