How to: Friendsgivng
By: Stefanie Baptista
So, you want to host Friendsgiving. You want to take on the huge responsibility of this newfound American tradition. You want the gathering of your friends all under one roof, the huge and delicious array of food that you know none of you cooked yourself though all claim to have and still believe each other anyway, and, most importantly, the Instagram picture to prove that it all happened.
“How do I pull all of this off? Do you need a turkey at Friendsgiving? Am I even capable of cooking a turkey?” You may be asking yourself questions like these as you begin the early stages of the planning process. Well, since I am just a little under two weeks away from hosting my very first Friendsgiving, I thought I would share what I have learned so far with you, fellow future hosts/hostesses.
1.) The first date you pick most likely won’t work for everyone. You might have to do Friendsgiving on a Sunday, knowing that everyone has classes the following morning, which can totally put a damper on the festive mood. But hey! At least you’ll still get that Instagram picture, right?!
2.) Finding out what everyone plans on making is the equivalent to pulling teeth. You just may never get an answer from them no matter how many times you ask the groupchat. That’s okay, though. Their Pillsbury crescent roll may just mysteriously go missing when the bowl gets passed around to them.
3.) You can’t do it alone. Hosting a dinner party is a lot! You shouldn’t have to endure all of that stress alone. So here’s my advice to you: pick one reliable friend, ask them their opinion on everything related to the gathering, and bam! You have just slyly sucked your friend into planning the entire evening with you! Kudos to you!
4.) Paper place settings are okay. As long as they’re festive, I don’t see the problem. Also, you’re the host/cook/dishwasher/etc. so you can do as you like. But please, I’m begging you, use real cutlery. Plastic utensils are so out of the question. Save the oceans, man.
5.) You might think you won’t have a turkey, but you will. Friendsgiving isn’t supposed to be your traditional Thanksgiving, it’s more of a potluck style event and there really aren’t any rules. So, if you choose to not have a turkey, that’s completely fine, but just be aware that you will end up with a small bird taking up all of the space in your refrigerator because you’re the host/hostess and are a slave to tradition/perfection.
6.) Theme? Theme. Dressy? Casual? Business Casual? Canadian Tuxedos? The possibilities are endless! A theme can really spice the event up so get that living room outfit ready!
7.) Don’t forget to have fun during the process. Planning an event is hard and can be daunting if you’ve never done it before. Trust me, I know. It’s a lot. As long as the night doesn’t turn into the dinner party episode of The Office, I’d say it was a success!
So there you have it folks, some of the things I have learned when it comes to planning your very own Friendsgiving. I really hope this was beneficial to you and maybe even a little bit inspirational. Of course, my Friendsgiving hasn’t even happened yet so this could be the worst advice I’ve ever given, so interpret at your own free will. Happy feasting!
