Friendsgiving 101

Turkey season is upon us and the concept of Friendsgiving is a rising trend. According to the Washington Post, 52% of Millennials will be hosting one of their own ‘Friendsgiving.’ Dating back to 1994, the iconic television series Friends was the first group to celebrate Friendsgiving. However, the term was not used until 2007 online and took off from there.

For this season, you could avoid the awkwardness of your extended family asking questions at the Thanksgiving dinner table and spend time with friends instead. Forty percent of UWGB college students recently shared their thoughts on Friendsgiving through an anonymous survey. They said they plan to celebrate Thanksgiving with their friends.

“It’s the best way to give thanks with your friends and most importantly, make people who are away from home feel like they’re home.”   – student response from survey

So, if you plan to host your own Friendsgiving, below are helpful tips to consider:

⦁ Decorations
Festive decorations are key when hosting the perfect Friendsgiving – And it doesn’t have to be your main expense! Decide on a color scheme for your party, then head to a nearby dollar store for fun and affordable decorations.

⦁ Food
Hosting Friendsgiving can be expensive and time-consuming. Have your guests bring their favorite dish to share with the rest of the group. Simple dishes can include mashed potatoes, Biscuits and Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Maybe a ham instead of turkey?

⦁ Drinks
There are numerous beverages that goes well with your Thanksgiving meal, both alcoholic, and non. You can mix up a Spiced Cider Margarita or a Salted Caramel Apple Martini if you and your friends are of legal drinking age. If not, how about a Sparkling Cranberry Punch?

⦁ Gratitude
Lastly, make sure you don’t forget the essence and main purpose of Thanksgiving! Implement a fun way for your guests to remember what they are grateful for in their lives. Hand out a stack of note cards and have your friends write it down. Collect their cards and read them out loud anonymously as the night is coming to an end. This is the perfect way to end your Friendsgiving!

Happy cooking!

Written by MOJO: Jessica Amo, Mailee Her, Oda Bekkestad

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