Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. And traditionally, Thanksgiving involves family, amazing food, and good conversations. But have you ever thought of celebrating the season with the friends in your life?
I’m talking about the close friends, the ones you can always count on, the ones who your kids may call “aunt” or “uncle”, but have no relation to at all. The friends that you have spent hours with, that have a place in so many of your memories, the friends who are irreplaceable.
What Is Friendsgiving?
Every year, usually just before Thanksgiving, a circle of friends will orchestrate an entire Thanksgiving meal and call it, “Friendsgiving.” It is in most cases a potluck-style event. In my group of friends, one person will make the turkey and the rest of us will bring side dishes. We usually create a Facebook event and then create a spreadsheet of what everyone will bring, so there aren’t any doubles.
We all get together for an evening of food, games, and catching up with each other. Over the years we have definitely added more kids and it is a beautiful (and noisy!) thing. This year with the global pandemic at hand, we may have to resort to a virtual Friendsgiving. However, it is really a time to appreciate the amazing friendships that we have.
My Friends That Are Family
When my husband and I were in college we had a group of friends who we would hang out with, as most people do. This group of friends has transformed somewhat over the years, but our bond remains. These friends have been with us through weddings to babies to baptisms to helping each other move into apartments and houses.
When you have been friends for over 10 years, people aren’t just your friends. They are much more than that. They are the people you can call if you are having a bad day or if you need help with a house project. They are the people you can count on when times get tough. I am beyond thankful for our group of friends that take on family-like roles for my kids. That somehow along the line become more and more like family.
We have seven people that have “earned” this. They are our friends that are consistently involved in our lives. Any time there is a birthday party, they’re there. We have Sunday brunches together and they have become godparents to our kids. They give your kids the huge hugs and spoil them when they come over. They are the friends you can text or call at any hour.
These friends are so special that we celebrate them annually. It is a sort of pre-Thanksgiving party and a time that we look forward to each year.
Being Thankful
After going through high school and college, I have realized that you gain a lot of friends but very few are the ones who remain in your life year after year. These are the really special ones, the ones to invite to Friendsgiving.
If you are blessed with some of these extraordinary friends, be grateful. These type of people are not very common, so it’s important to tell them how much you appreciate them: at least once a year!
More Ideas to Celebrate Friendsgiving
Another way to celebrate Friendsgiving is to all give back together. Pick a service project to be involved with or an organization that you can all support. Given our current circumstances, this may be a great way to celebrate your friendship this Thanksgiving when getting together is more challenging.
Cheers, and Happy Friendsgiving!
