Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Normally, Thanksgiving is the time of year we spend with our family, relax and eat until we’re completely stuffed, but unfortunately, some of us don’t get to head home and spend some time with loved ones.
Not to worry! Bring the spirit of Thanksgiving to your campus and celebrate Friendsgiving. Friendsgiving is simply the celebration of Thanksgiving, but with your closet pals. Bring all your pals together, create some of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes and celebrate the friendship you share with one another. Get to visit your family this year? Host a Friendsgiving celebration with hometown friends! We’ve listed six amazing tips to ensure you have a Friendsgiving to remember.
1. Have the host cook the turkey
What’s Thanksgiving without the holiday’s traditional entrée? As the host, you should probably make the turkey just to make the transition from oven to table a lot smoother. But we’re college students, and whipping up a delicious turkey isn’t a skill we all have. Instead, opt for something easier to make, like turkey burgers. Completely clueless in the kitchen? Try the recipe below for easy-to-make but delicious turkey burgers!
Turkey Burgers
Recipe from Allrecipes
Serves 12 people
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds ground turkey
- ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ¼ cup finely diced onions
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Hamburger buns
- Slices of tomatoes, onions, lettuce and any condiments you like
Directions:
- In a large bowl, mix together ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Form into 12 patties.
- Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place 1 patty on the bottom half of each bun and add lettuce, onion and tomato slices as desired. Get creative and add different sauces or toppings!
2. The host should coordinate the potluck
For an even bigger (and delicious!) Thanksgiving feast, have friends bring their own dishes. If you’re the host, email guests different dishes to choose from so you can avoid multiple guests bringing the same thing. You can keep in tune with the holiday spirit and have guests bring their favorite Thanksgiving dish, or you can mix it up and have guests bring whatever dish they desire.
3. Get festive with decorations
Cute, festive decorations will turn this meal into an event. Buy a few holiday-scented candles, get an autumnal centerpiece, carve a pumpkin or two and buy a decorative harvest wreath. You’ll not only get into the holiday spirit, but your friends are sure to feel it, too!
“I celebrated with my girlfriends last year, and decorating was probably my favorite part!” says Taylor Brown, a senior at Iona College. “My parents gave me full control of the dining room, and instead of going out and buying decorations, we decided to create our own. The room was filled with DIY turkeys and pumpkins!”
If you’re in the mood to get creative and you want to save some extra cash, try this DIY turkey table decoration!
Thanksgiving Turkey Decoration
From Ruche
Supplies:
- Feathers
- Felt
- Googly eyes
- Hot glue gun
- Scissors
- Pinecones
Directions:
- Glue the eyes to the top of the pinecone.
- For the beak, cut a small triangle from the felt and apply with glue.
- Glue about 3-4 feathers on the bottom of the pinecone, following the shape of a semicircle.
- You’re all done! Display these cute turkeys as a table centerpiece or spread them throughout the dining room.
4. Don’t forget the entertainment
After the huge feast you and your friends just had, you’ll all probably feel stuck in a food coma. But that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop! Below are some fun activities you and friends can do after your delicious dinner. You can even pair this time of night with some dessert if there’s still room!
- Bust out some board games: Traditional board games are always entertaining, so why not enjoy your favorite childhood board games surrounded by close friends? Trouble, anyone?
- Play some charades: This game is a classic, and engaging in some friendly competition is sure to keep everyone awake and involved!
- Watch a game of football: Gather in the living room with some snacks and a few drinks, and watch your favorite football team score a winning touchdown.
5. Give thanks
Some traditions just never get old. Don’t forget the most important part of Thanksgiving: being grateful for everything we have in life. During any time of the night, go around the room and have each person say one thing he or she is thankful for. It’s tradition!
6. Make it unique
It’s Friendsgiving, after all – make it a celebration worth remembering! Since you won’t be celebrating with Mom and Dad, you don’t have to do the same thing you do every year. Start your own cooking ritual, or have you and your friends match one another in adorably tacky holiday sweaters.
“Every time we celebrate, my friends and I trace our hands on colored paper to make the turkeys we used to in grade school – it’s so funny!” says Alexandra Howell, a junior at Manhattan College. “After we’re done, we staple them together and hang them along a doorway. We don’t even remember who came up with idea for the very first time, but it definitely became a tradition that I’m sure will last forever.”
Before it’s back to school and finals roll around, set a day to celebrate with your closest friends and share what you’re truly thankful for. You never know—you may create a tradition that will last for years to come.