Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the good times and give thanks for everything that makes you feel blessed. While Thanksgiving can be a wonderful holiday filled with turkey and all things fall, our Thanksgiving break is only three days long and the airports are usually swamped, not to mention heightened holiday traveling prices make it difficult to get home.
So, if you are staying on campus for Thanksgiving or even going back home to spend time with friends and family, hosting a Friendsgiving could be the perfect way to celebrate turkey day. Friendsgiving is a modern-day take on Thanksgiving. Instead of celebrating with family, friends gather together to give thanks. So, here’s a roundup of nine things to help you host the ultimate Friendsgiving.
Invites
These can be as simple as a text with the location and date of the party or as elaborate as old-fashioned, printed invites sent by snail mail. There are tons of options for free printable invitations on Pinterest and tons of templates online you can customize through InDesign and Photoshop.
Decorating
Nothing says fall quite like leaves changing color and pumpkins outside of storefronts…even though fall in South Florida only means the weather goes from miserable to bearable. Regardless, a fall-themed party is incomplete without festive decorations. Decorations can be simple and understated or over the top, so whatever your style, you’ll be able to find something that puts your guests in the holiday spirit. Sticking to a color scheme like red, orange, yellow and brown can help tie in carved pumpkins, colorful leaves and turkey re-creations.
Turkey, mashed potatoes and green beans
Turkey is a Thanksgiving staple, but cooking a turkey in a dorm room is basically impossible. Thankfully, a turkey can be purchased from a variety of different places. Some restaurants offer cooked turkeys to go around Thanksgiving and supermarkets have cooked meats as well. Thanksgiving is not complete without a few homemade sides, but if you want to have Thanksgiving in a dorm, most supermarkets have sides that taste close to, if not identical to, home cooking. Most Thanksgiving staples can be bought in a grocery store and heated up in a microwave if necessary. It eliminates the reality of slaving in the kitchen all day, leaving more time to socialize with friends.
Anything pumpkin
‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice and everything nice. The desserts are almost as important as the meal, so be sure to provide your guests with a few options to treat their sweet tooth, like a festive pumpkin pie or pumpkin roll. Dessert recipes can be somewhat challenging to make, though, especially in a dorm. For Friendsgiving purposes, picking up a pie or cake at a local supermarket will provide Thanksgiving desserts, while minimizing the work.
Apple cider and hot chocolate
Even though South Florida may not feel like sweater weather, an assortment of hot drinks will be appreciated by your guests. A hot chocolate bar is not only a big crowd-pleaser but is easy to make. All you will need for a hot chocolate bar is an assortment of toppings and extra ingredients like peppermint sticks, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, whipped cream, caramel and salt. Hot chocolate could be substituted for coffee or apple cider, depending on your preference. Apple cider and hot chocolate can be made in bulk using a crock pot. The crock pot not only alleviates some of the work but works nicely in a dorm room.
Movies and blankets
Once you’ve been sufficiently stuffed with all of the Thanksgiving food, you will probably want to curl up and take a nap. For this reason, planning to watch a movie after your Friendsgiving is perfect. Movies like “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “Home for the Holidays” are good picks that will put your guests in the holiday mood.
Party games
Party games can either be really corny or really entertaining, so be sure to put some thought into what type of games your friends might enjoy. Some great fall-themed games and activities could be fall bingo with pumpkin and cornucopia stickers, painting pumpkins or bobbing for apples. If the latter seems too complicated, a simple stack of cards and a few board games will also liven up the party – with way less effort for the host.
Photo backdrops
Friendsgiving is a great excuse to fill your Instagram feed with fall photos. Picking up some photo props or designating an area in your dorm for photos will liven up the party and provide a way for guests to document all of the fun. If you’re looking to get fancy with your pictures, you can always run to a local craft store and purchase a fall-themed or coordinating colored fabric to hang on your wall. Either way, be sure to document all the amazing food and all the memories.
Thankful opportunities
Thanksgiving is all about taking the time to express your gratitude for all of the things you appreciate, and this shouldn’t be overlooked just because you’re not at home with your family. Reflecting on all everything you feel blessed to have is a good way to change your perspective about Thanksgiving away from home. There are so many interesting ways to incorporate thankfulness into your Friendsgiving, like giving your guests the opportunity to write down as many good things as they can in one minute.
Whether you’re unable to return home for Thanksgiving or you just want to spend time with friends during the holidays, preparing a Friendsgiving is a great place to start. Friendsgiving can be the perfect way to make Fort Lauderdale feel a little more like home during this time of year, whether you decide to plan a simple gathering or go all out like Monica from “Friends.” The main idea is just to enjoy the company and reflect on all of the things you are grateful for – like pumpkin pie and macaroni and cheese.
