How to Throw a Friendsgiving Dinner

For those that moved to Brooklyn from other parts of the county or even the world, Thanksgiving can be a lonely holiday but it doesn't have to be. 

Before some brilliant brand marketing guru came up with the term "Friendsgiving", many thoughtful and generous people have been doing this for years. If you really think about it, the first Thanksgiving was a Friendsgiving where the Pilgrims invited the Native Americans to dine with them and share seasonal dishes (at least that's what we remember from our grammar school class) 

So How do you throw a Friendsgiving and are there any rules of etiquette around it? 

Here's what some of our friends and family who've actually thrown or attended a Friendsgiving shared with us- 

1. Save the date- whether it's text, evite or Facebook post, make sure that you ask those that don't have plans or would rather spend the holiday with friends, if they can make it. 

2.  Location, location, location- if you're like us, you're apartment isn't the largest so make sure that you realistically know how many can fit comfortably in your space. 

3. Seating and tables- this is entirely up to you. You can go casual and have everyone sit on the couch, bedrooms, kitchen and hallways or you can go to Amazon and order a folding table and some chairs. What's good about the folding table and chairs is that it can fit under you bed or behind a couch. 

4. What to serve for Thanksgiving- if your the host, its your job to provide the main Thanksgiving dish, whether it's a roasted turkey breast, honey glazed ham or turducken! Or you can go vegan. If you're on a budget, make it a potluck event. The tip to potluck is to make sure that everyone has a dish that compliments the meal. We've been to some potlucks where there was 5 hummus and veggie dish! 

A google doc or Facebook page can help with the planning the potluck dinner or you can just ask friends. And who says it has to be home made, Seamless or Grubhub is a click away along with Trader Joe's ready made items. 

5. Plates and silverware- you can be fancy and get really plates and silverware but our recommendations is paper or plastic plates and plastic forks, knives and spoons. Make sure you have double the forks cause it always runs out. Amazon or your local dollar store should have it. And if you want it to look fancy, spring for the Bamboo plates 

6. Drinks and cocktails- if there's a Traders Joe's near you, Two Buck Chucks makes great Sangrias and it won't cost too much. Or do BYOW (Bring your own wine) 

We hope some of these tips help you throw an unforgettable Thanksgiving. The point of Friendsgiving is to enjoy quality time with friends, have some good food, drinks and give thanks.