How to Host the Perfect Friendsgiving

By Amanda Berg on November 20, 2018

Friendsgiving is taking the holidays by storm. Friendsgiving is similar to Thanksgiving. The only difference is that you share a meal with your pals, coworkers—anybody but your actual family.

The concept seems simple. Get together your closest friends, eat food, drink cheap wine… but in reality, these dinner parties take tons of planning! Consider this your ultimate guide to make sure your Friendsgiving rivals A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving or an episode of Friends.

Planning it out…decisions, decisions!

There are so many things to think about when deciding to have a Friendsgiving? The first is to decide when you’ll host your party. Will you have it during Thanksgiving Weekend? Or later after the actual holiday? There are pros and cons to both of these options. Having your Friendsgiving the weekend after or very close to Thanksgiving keeps up with the spirit of the holiday. That being said, it also risks your pals being out of town— especially if they don’t live close to your school and went home for Thanksgiving break.

A great alternative option is to do a Friendsgiving during the last week of classes or finals week before everyone goes home for break. This will give you some time to plan. You could even change the theme from Thanksgiving to just a general holiday party. Dinner parties are a great way to “adult” with your friends. Friendsgiving is more about being with your “family” away from home— at the end of the day, hosting it right at Thanksgiving doesn’t matter very much.

The other major factor to consider is whether or not you want to keep it traditional. Will you eat turkey and potatoes, a spaghetti dinner, pizza or maybe something else? Choosing the traditional route could be tons of fun but can be a lot of work to cook, especially if you have a lot of friends. If you want to host the perfect Friendsgiving, pay attention to the types of foods your friends like, since you know them better than anyone.

Now that you have a basic plan, time to turn the Friendsgiving dream into reality.

Now, time to choose who you’re inviting. Since it’s a dinner party rather than a typical college party, feel free to be stingy and only invite your closest friends. Definitely make it clear that guests should clear plus-ones with you ahead of time rather than bring them last minute— especially since that affects how much food you’ll need.

Another element to consider is if it’s going to be a potluck dinner where everyone brings something, or if you’ll be providing all of the food. Some friend groups designate one or two people as chefs, and everyone will chip in cash towards the bill. If you’re opting against a potluck, you’ll definitely want to consider this so you don’t end up paying an arm and a leg for all of your friends (and possibly their significant others).

If you chose potluck, try to assign everybody a dish so you don’t end up with duplicates. Also, consider the age of your friends- freshmen who live in dorms may have a hard time making dishes if they don’t have kitchen access. They’ll be better off bringing beverages, desserts, or dishes that can be store bought! Assign commuters and older students more advanced sides to prepare.

A few extra things to consider are:

  • Will you want your friends to dress up?
  • Will there be drinking? If you want a tame night but still have a drink, consider limiting the night to wine and beer only. Don’t be afraid to set the tone with your friends.
  • What time will you have friends over? Do you want the food to be ready upon arrival? If not, having board games and light snacks can be a great way to stay classy and keep guests busy while you finish working on dinner.

No matter how you plan your Friendsgiving, spending time with your best pals this holiday season is sure to be something leaving you thankful for years to come.

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