How to Host the BEST Friendsgiving Ever!

This post may contain affiliate links and ads. Read our disclosure policy here.

Gone are the days when holidays are spent with JUST family.  If you haven’t hosted or attended your first Friendsgiving yet, you are missing out!  Check out our easy tips for how to host the BEST Friendsgiving ever!

Friendsgiving Dinner

How to Host the BEST Friendsgiving!

Friendsgiving is the blending of friends and Thanksgiving! It is a newer founded “holiday,” in which friends get together and celebrate the love and friendships between all of them. People take their Friendsgiving Dinners very seriously! They are just as important as the traditional family Thanksgiving dinner and Family Christmas, so if you are hosting Friendsgiving this year, I am going to give you tips on how to host the BEST Friendsgiving EVER!

We have enjoyed Friendsgiving several years in a row now. We have a group of friends who we have partied with every New Year’s Eve for about the last decade.  We always have so much fun together – laughing until we are about doubled over from side-splitting shrieking.  So since there is nothing better than a night of laughter with friends, we decided to extend our NYE fun by having a Friendsgiving dinner in early November each year.

As you will learn below, there are many methods to hosting a Friendsgiving and you can choose whatever mode fits your style. We typically go with a potluck-style meal where everyone brings several dishes.  This makes the dinner a little less stressful on the host family!

friendsgiving obx

Planning your Friendsgiving Dinner

See below for the most important points to consider when planning your Friendsgiving meal.

The Date. You’ll want to figure out a date and settle on it, so you can get your invites out at least a few weeks before the event. Last minute dinner with friends doesn’t always work out for everyone. If you are having your Friendsgiving meal anywhere close to actual Thanksgiving, understand that this is typically a very busy time for many families.  The earlier you get a date on the calendar, the better.

The Guest List. I would keep the guest list small and cozy. You probably want no more than 10 – 20 people, depending on how big of an entertaining space you have. Also, decide if you are adding plus ones to the invites or if you are only invited specific couples and friends.

Pre-Dinner Entertainment. Are you going to have some appetizers and maybe a game or two to play? I would stick with quick and easy finger foods and games that provide awesome laughs! Mini Quiche Cups, Baked Brie with Bagel Bites for Dipping, things like that. Games like Gestures or Cards Against Humanity are always good for a laugh. One game we love to let the kids play at Friendsgiving is the Saran Wrap Ball Game!

Pre-Dinner Drinks. You’ll have to decide if you are providing all of the alcohol or if you are going to have a potluck or BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle). At our gatherings the hosts typically provide some alcoholic choices and guests bring additional options if they want.

The actual Friendsgiving MEAL! Here are where some big decisions come into play! First, decide if you are going to make the whole meal or if you’d like to do a potluck type dinner. Personally, I like the potluck option, because it is less stressful and you can have more fun with it! Will your meal be a lunch or a dinner? Will the host make a traditional dish like a turkey?

Hosting a POTLUCK Friendsgiving:

  • Ask some of your friends to bring drinks or wine that remind them of a group or friend memory.
  • Ask another set of friends to bring a couple of games that perhaps your group of friends has played before!
  • Ask the rest of your guests to make potluck dishes inspired by the favorite meals that your group of friends has shared. It doesn’t matter if it is Thanksgiving themed or not!
  • Take care of dessert yourself and make a special dessert based on a memory!

Share the memories: Ask your guests to share the story of a memory that they have about your friendship! Your guests can share them with each other either before, during or after dinner! Also, ask your friends to snap pics and videos at random times, so they collect fun moments!

However your Friendsgiving meal shapes up, the most important goal is of course to enjoy the time with your very best friends! Have fun re-living old memories all while making new ones.

We all know that even though we love our families very much, sometimes holiday dinners and gatherings are held and attended more out of obligation than actual enjoyment.  That’s because, let’s face it: families can be stressful.  What’s that old saying?  You can choose your friends, but not your family. In that spirit, I highly recommend trying out a Friendsgiving with your favorite friends.  You can relax, enjoy good food and drink, and laugh yourself silly without the stress that traditional family gatherings tend to bring.

I hope this has given you some inspiring ideas! Happy Friendsgiving to you all!


PIN How to Host the BEST Friendsgiving Ever! to PINTEREST!

Host the BEST Friendsgiving Ever!

Some Fall themed treats and fun…

Slow Cooker Applesauce Recipe

Slow Cooker Applesauce Recipe

Paper Bag Apple Pie (Cinnamon Sugar Butter Crust) Recipe

apple pie

DIY Apple Pie Slime – Fun Activity for Kids!

DIY Apple Slime

Mom’s Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Sliced Pumpkin Bread

DIY Pumpkin Spice Air Freshening Spray + FREE Printable Label

Pumpkin Spice Air Freshener Spray

Fall Pumpkin Dip

fall pumpkin dip 2 mama cheaps

Leave a Comment