How to Host a *Perf* Friendsgiving

From Cosmopolitan

Hosting Friendsgiving is basically just an excuse to celebrate the best holiday (yes, you heard me) twice. Not only do you get to enjoy all that good turkey day food yet again, but you also get to eat those classic dishes with your ride-or-dies instead of your weird cousins who you're forced to hang out with every year.

This year's Friendsgiving celebration may look a little different. Whether you're hosting it over Zoom or you're forced to limit your guest list, there are ways to make sure you're not sacrificing any of the fun. Potentially host your first virtual Friendsgiving, spice up the dessert bar with a whole bunch of pies, or just make your home feel like a festive abode with hella decorations.

Whether you're in it for the food, the drinks, the gratitude, or all of the above, there are endless ways to make your party better. From fall-inspired cocktails to pie-tasting competitions, here are 23 ways to make your Friendsgiving one to remember.

1. Make it a pajama party.

Sure it can be fun to dress up, but throwing a full-blown pajama party for your Friendsgiving is more fun than wearing tight dresses and ties. The dress code provides an opportunity for friends to show off some fun and festive PJs and ensures enough wiggle room in your clothes to add that extra slice of pie to your plate.

2. Set the scent.

Light a candle with hints of fall and your guests will be greeted with a welcoming aroma upon their arrival. Go for something that has hints of fir and earthy notes to really get in the spirit of the holiday.

3. Decorate your door.

Obviously the first thing your guests see upon arrival needs to be over the top with decorations, right? Go for something stylish and festive, like a beautiful fall wreath or go all out festive with a door cover that'll be perfect for the 'gram.

4. Create a foliage-inspired buffet.

Let's be honest, there's usually nothing better than a buffet (in non-COVID times, ofc), but with a gorgeous tablescape your guests might not even notice all the pies sitting on the table. (Which means more for you!)

5. Make it virtual.

Friendsgiving can be tricky, especially if some of your besties don't live in the same city as you. This is why it's almost better to do a virtual Friendsgiving, so you can all enjoy the holiday together! This is the trick that Destiney Green (aka @momcrushmonday) uses every year. "When we can’t make it to every place our loved ones reside, video chat is bae! It’s how we can always stay connected," says Green.

6. Play Thanksgiving bingo.

You’re never too old to play some bingo, and this cute very on-theme board allows you to get a little competitive while staying true to the holiday’s roots. Grab a set and play with your crew during the post-turkey stupor.

7. Make an apple vodka cocktail.

Nothing differentiates Thanksgiving with your family and Thanksgiving with your friends like the drinks. Put that apple cider to use to make an Apple Doesn’t Fall Far cocktail from Svedka. To stir one up, add 2 parts Svedka Citron, 2 parts apple juice, 1 part ginger beer, and ½ parts fresh lime juice to a Collins glass. Stir well, garnish with a slice of ginger, and drink up.

8. Host a potluck.

If you have all your guests bring their fave dish, that is obvs less work for you, but it’s also the only way to do a FG. Like, are you really going to shell out 1 million dollars for this thing? No way. If you’re hosting, make the turkey and gravy, then email your guests a spreadsheet so they can write down what they’re bringing. I’m not saying it’s bad to have four bowls of mashed potatoes, but then who’s gonna bring the stuffing?!

9. Or...have everyone bring a pie.

Extend the potluck vibes to your desserts buffet. Have everyone bring their favorite type of pie so you (okay, fine, and everyone else) can try them all. To make a game out of it, tell your guests to keep what they brought a secret. Then have everyone guess who brought which pie. The winner...gets more pie!

10. Decorate with butcher paper.

Everyone has probably gone around the table and said what they’re thankful for at Thanksgiving before, but if you swap a boring old tablecloth for butcher paper, everyone can write out what they’re thankful for right in front of them. Then you can read yours aloud throughout dinner.

11. Be a child and make turkey hands.

Remember the simple days when you were little and made turkey hands in grade school? Who says we can’t do that now? Pull out some paper, some pencils, and get to tracing. Have your friends hang theirs on the wall or just get tipsy and pretend to gobble-gobble.

12. Deck out your photo booth.

I can’t remember the last ~good~ party I’ve been to that didn’t have a photo booth. These cute props will up your Insta game and make all your pictures super fun.

13. Paint pumpkins.

Whether you carved pumpkins for Halloween or not, painting pumpkins is so much easier and waaaaaayyy less messy, so it’s a craft you can do anywhere, pre– or post–big meal. Buy some tiny pumpkins and some paints, then get crafty.

14. Decorate with banners.

Hanging one of these babies is super easy and gives the room a personal touch. Go with the pre-made “Give Thanks” or “Happy Friendsgiving” ones, or design your own to say whatever you want.

15. Send out cute invites.

Step up your party game by sending out real paper invites (Facebook Events aren’t good enough for this shindig, guys!). Not only will your friends feel more special, but you can also personalize the invites and make it feel super important, which it is, duh. Design your own or grab a cute template from Minted or Etsy.

16. Have a holiday movie marathon.

After you’re done eating, nothing is more enjoyable than lounging around on the couch. Cuddle up with your pals and start watching your favorite Christmas movies (bc it really is never too early). You can all write down your favorites and then draw from a bowl for the order to pick what’s on deck.

17. Get some very on-brand serving stuff.

No matter what you make, you’re gonna wanna serve it in something preeetttyyy. Grab a pumpkin or turkey-shaped dish that you’ll definitely, of course, a hundred percent use during every other holiday season.

18. Play a drinking game.

Pre-game the meal with these cute game cards, which tell you to sip based on all things T-Day. Need boozy inspo? Check this list of the best cocktails and wines to pair with Thanksgiving turkey (and stuffing and mashed potatoes and pumpkin).

19. Make it a football-slash-food party.

If you live somewhere that isn’t miserably cold, make your Friendsgiving a picnic. Bring all the food and drinks you’d have indoors, but you can also enjoy the outdoor games of Thanksgiving, like football or even frisbee.

20. Split the wishbone.

Draw two of your guests’ names from a hat, and have those lucky people split the wishbone from the turkey. Obv they’ll get luck and good cheer, and all that fun stuff, but if you’re feeling wild, come up with a real gift to give the winner. A cute wishbone-shaped necklace, perhaps?

21. BYO storage containers.

Tell everyone to BYO their fave take-home container so you’re not stuck with six extra pounds of cranberry sauce at the end of the night.

22. Make homemade hot chocolate.

At the end of the meal, start makin’ hot chocolate for everyone. Set out some bourbon and rum so your peeps can add an extra kick.

23. Turn it into brunch.

Save all your sweet potato hash and pumpkin pancake recipes for a Friendsgiving brunch. If you’re the friend group that brunches religiously, why change that? Mimosas and Thanksgiving sound like a perfect combo to me.

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