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How to Host the Ultimate Friendsgiving

Nov 4th 2021

Oh, Friendsgiving. 

This event has taken on a life of its own! Whether it's become the annual "ringing in" of the holiday season for you and your pals the week before real Thanksgiving — or you've created an annual event with your "chosen family" of friends — you know how important this time is. 

Once you start it, it's hard to stop! But really, what's not love?! The makings for a stellar event are —

Potluck-style or low key-comfort food? Check.

Cute decorations? Check.

Almost no stress for the hostess? Check.

And plenty of games and good laughs? Double check. 

If you've never been to a Friendsgiving but are interested in doing ALL OF THIS, we highly recommend it! Here's a little about how this fun day got its roots.

So . . . What is Friendsgiving Day?

Some think that the term "Friendsgiving" came from the that one time the cast of "Friends" got together to celebrate circa 1999, but since the word only made it into the Merriam Webster dictionary sometime in 2020, we think it's a combination of a few media nods to the phrase — and these events just happening!

How ever this fantastic pre-holiday bash came to be, we're so glad it did.Today, we're fueling up on ideas for food, fun, and fancy to get your people the best start to the holiday season yet!

Friendsgiving Decor Ideas

When you start to pull together themes for your Friendsgiving bash, you can decide if you want to take it all autumn feels or slightly neutral, depending on your home or venue tastes! Decorating doesn't have to be intimidating — you can create a beautiful spread for your friends to enjoy with simple as well as more elaborate pieces. Let your imagination go wild and have fun! 

But it wouldn't be us if we didn't share the love of incorporating a fall Christmas tree or Thankful Tree for your family to enjoy all season long. 

If you have the table or space to do it, a long table where your people can gather creates the best atmosphere for games and making memories! Even if you borrow some long tables and chairs, find a spot in your home to create a gathering space!

You can use pumpkins, cake stands, and cutting boards to create a dynamic table with varying heights and pieces. 

Recommended Table Products: Galvanized Pumpkins | White Pumpkins | Pumpkin Signs | Plaid Runner | Garland | Pumpkin Serving Dish Thankful Tree: Texture Ribbon | Plaid Ribbon | Signs | Pumpkin Ornaments | Cotton | Spray

Friendsgiving Food Ideas

Now, when we pulled this spread together, we thoroughly enjoyed the delicious yet simple recipes! You don't have to go crazy to get a gourmet meal together. Our theme centered around the dynamite Amaretto Peach Pecan Preserves from the Texas Hill Country. We chose to incorporate these flavors in —

For the turkey paninis, we highly recommend trying out this ah-mazing preserve — to make the warm sandwiches, you simply warm up the oven (to keep the sandwiches warm), use a panini maker, and layer great quality bread, munster cheese, a good quality turkey deli meat sliced thick, and a healthy serving of the amaretto peach preserve. 

It may be the best thing you've ever tasted. 

Why throw a Friendsgiving?

We all know that our communities need a dose of joy this season. 

Whether it's a group of friends meeting in a home, some old pals reuniting after a busy year of kid schedules and growing careers, or churches and communities coming together to remember — isn't this the very heart of thankfulness? 

We hope we're the first to wish you a Happy Friendsgiving — have fun celebrating the most important part of the holiday season. May you have thankful hearts with great joy this month of November — and lots of delicious food with a warm environment to share moments with the people you love!