One of the hardest things about the holidays, is when our family is far away, we’re sometimes left to celebrate alone. In fact, loneliness is perhaps the largest cause of the holiday blues. That’s why Friendsgiving has been growing in popularity in recent years. Not only is a great for college students who might not be able to get home for Thanksgiving, it helps those that might not live close to their loved ones as well. If you don’t want to be alone this turkey day, here’s how to host a Friendsgiving party of your own:
First, invite some friends
Let everyone know that you’re hosting a Friendsgiving party, and tell them what time to stop by.
Assign dishes for everyone to bring
There’s no sense in you doing all the cooking. Make it a potluck party.
Outsource the cooking of the turkey and some sides if you want
As the host, you’re technically supposed to provide the main entree, and some sides, but no one said you had to actually cook it yourself. Many grocery stores offer ready-made birds with all the trimmings.
Tell people to bring friends along
Because the whole idea is not to be alone on Thanksgiving, have friends bring friends. The more the merrier! Just make sure everyone RSVPs in plenty of time so you know how big of a bird you will need. And, encourage attendees to bring their own drinks, and extra side dishes so there’s plenty to go around.
Have board games and decks of cards standing by
What’s a Friendsgiving party without a little entertainment? Have some activities available for after the meal and before the tryptophan takes over.
Use paper plates, cups, and disposable cutlery
Go for recyclable and ecofriendly if you want, but disposable supplies means no one gets stuck doing dishes at the end of the night!
Have extra stuff in the cupboard just in case
Stock extra snacks like chips, crackers, cookies, etc… Also stock plenty of extra drinks like water, soda, and tea. It’s a good idea to get a few bags of ice for the freezer or a large cooler as well.
Create a Facebook event page for the party
Not only will this be a great place to keep track of who is bringing what, you can also track RSVPs. And, after the party is over, you can easily share pictures from the night.
I hope this post inspires you to host a Friendsgiving party for yourself if you can’t be with family this year. On a personal note, we would just like to say that we’re thankful for all of our clients, friends, blog readers, vendors, staff and more. From our family to yours – have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!