Time spent with family at Thanksgiving is always nice, but what about the family you’ve made for yourself?
As we all know, family gatherings can be great, but they can also be stressful, especially when that family includes little kids who never seem to behave. Even though the parents may be shushing their child, the tantrums keep coming. While family is important, so are your own feelings. Celebrating a Friendsgiving might bring you more joy instead.
If you’re interested, let me tell you about Friendsgiving. Most of us celebrate Thanksgiving, and Friendsgiving is similar, but it usually happens a day or two before the actual holiday. You ask your friends to bring food from their culture to the gathering, and depending on how many people you invite, you’ll likely have a table full of different cultural dishes!
There may be concerns about everyone bringing the same types of food, but you can always agree on certain dishes to avoid repeating foods. And if repeats do happen, who cares? It’s food, and most people enjoy it, especially when you get to try new flavors and experience your friends’ cultures. If you love tasting new foods, this is the perfect opportunity—and if you’re lucky, they might let you take some leftovers!
A Friendsgiving could also bring you and your friends closer, especially since friends can sometimes feel distant. You might not always understand why, but spending time together can ease those worries. Some friends may also be going through tough times at home, and a little Friendsgiving “getaway” could be just what they need. There are also friends who don’t live nearby anymore, so why not use this opportunity to celebrate with them?
Lastly, hosting a Friendsgiving is a great idea because you could also use it as a chance to meet new people. Ask each of your friends to bring a friend, and you’ll have a house full of new people to meet and get to know. Why not make your Friendsgiving a bigger event and strengthen your bond with both old and new friends? Expanding your friend group can only mean more fun for you.
So, this Thanksgiving, instead of only celebrating with family, try setting aside a day to host a Friendsgiving with your friends. It’s a great opportunity to create new traditions, share a variety of foods, and strengthen the bonds you have with the people who mean the most to you.
