At some point over the last decade, someone out in the ether coined the term Friendsgiving. At the end of the day, it’s a fancy term for a Thanksgiving dinner spent with friends instead of family. We like to think it all got started with my friends Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross, and Joey. However, it’s important to note that it’s perfectly acceptable to have both a Friendsgiving and then a normal Thanksgiving (drunk uncles and crazy cousins welcome). But if you’re one of those Millennials who moved to a big city with all the hopes and dreams of getting a fancy career and trendy loft apartment, sometimes that $800 Thanksgiving-spiked plane ticket doesn’t do it for ya.
Fret not. Grab your favorite friends (or the ones who also live far from home), ditch your regular ramen noodle dinners and put together the most epic Friendsgiving ever. Décor must be on point, of course. And the food has to be hot and delicious (even if you pick up the turkey from Whole Foods).
Friendsgiving is meant to be fun. It can help you forget about all the things you’re missing out on when not spending Thanksgiving with your family. However, remember that Friendsgiving is a great way to avoid the annual questions: Why aren't you married yet? When are you going to make me a grandma? Why are you spending all your money on that $2,500/month apartment? Woah – we think we had a minor anxiety attack just writing that. Anyway, Friendsgiving is all about celebrating. And your friends already know all about your problems. In all seriousness, this is the holiday where you can be forever thankful for great friends, good wine, and lackluster turkey.
Of course, if your Thanksgiving turns into a Friendsgiving, you may be seriously missing your family. The Thanksgiving you grew up with could be filled with amazing memories, old family traditions, and local Christmas tree lightings. Plus, adulting is hard and Mom always makes the perfect sweet potato casserole. Cooking a whole Thanksgiving on your own is hard work and takes a really long time. We mean, really long. And you may be having serious doubts that your tiny apartment oven can even hold a giant turkey. When back at home, all you had to do is sit back on the couch, turn on whatever football team was playing that day, dig into the apps, and spoil your appetite for dinner.
A classic Thanksgiving dinner includes the turkey, of course, some mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn, and a whole lot of gravy. But Thanksgiving food isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Does anyone actually like the turkey anyway? There are so many better meat options out there. The moral of the story is that Friendsgiving can be whatever you want it to be. You’re not required to stick to a strict Thanksgiving menu. You could even choose to skip the meal altogether and have a variety of desserts all day long. The world is your oyster. Take advantage of adulthood. The Thanksgiving Eve, dive bar disaster is so 2012. Though I must say, we will all miss witnessing our high school friends throwing back watered-down vodka seltzers, while simultaneously reminiscing on the good ole days. As Millennials, grown-up and all, we have now entered into the era of skyscraper-filled cities, rooftop bars with $20 cocktails, 14-hour day corporate jobs and Friendsgiving. Plus, isn’t it nice not being completely hungover on Thanksgiving Day?
