Friendsgiving: Anywhere, Anytime, Don’t Forget the Wine!

I have always been a girls’ girl!  Had my own book club at the age of 12, cheerleader, played all the sports. I grew up in the era where we celebrated friendships and cherished dear girlfriends. We’re the millennial culture. We eat avocado toast – we brunch (as a verb) -we beat our kids to the Halloween aisle to check out all the costumes. I mean, we’re the ones keeping Spirit Halloween in business, all 65 days of the year. We are a celebratory group.

In that vein, we love to make up our own pseudo-holidays and traditions. And one of our Crown Jewels is here:  the beloved Friendsgiving.  Well, it’s a “thing” according to my good friend Merriam, ahem, Merriam-Webster.  They say “Friendsgiving is a mashup of the word “friend” and “thanksgiving” that refers to a large meal among friends eaten during the Thanksgiving season. The level of formality is dependent on the participants, but the word first appeared around 2007 as an informal replacement for the holiday typically spent with family.”  I couldn’t have put it better myself. Only there’s wine. Friendsgiving anywhere, anytime, don’t forget the wine!

Buck Tradition!

Millennials are known to buck the “traditional-y” traditions of the iPhone calendar and have added our own new and improved ones. Likewise, these soirées are ours for the sharing (on Insta, of course!) It’s a page right out of the Target Stores marketing calendar. Above all, why not celebrate the best time of the year when weather is cooler and vibes are chill. It’s thankfulness minus Aunt Bertha’s green bean casserole. It’s a picture perfect, no kids table messing up the flow of the decor, sip, snack, and be merry masterpiece and it’s ours! In short, join me on my trip down Friendsgiving lane, as I recount the best parts of this amazingly curated “faux-liday!”

Time is of the Essence (Said No Millennial Ever!)

We all know that Thanksgiving is around the corner. As in, for many of you reading this, it’s this week. It’s not too late to have Friendsgiving! Friendsgiving is about visiting and enjoying time, not counting time. Whether planned or spur of the moment, it’s all good! The week AFTER Thanksgiving’s even game! There are no rules! Just have fun and buck tradition. And don’t forget the WINE! And here’s a great one that I love, Liberty Creek!

Nacho Mama’s Thanksgiving Dinner

One of the best things about Friendsgiving is that it leans itself towards themes. And when I say “leans” we’re talkin’ “been drinking since 2pm, trip and fall while walking down Bourbon Street style” leaning because this party is theme central. It’s more “let’s roll our own sushi at Jill’s house” and less “you’ve got the turkey, we’ve got the sides.” Folks may choose to do a Little Havana party and sample tequilas or a Soup Bowl themed tasting competition. There’s Irish pot-luck or a down home Cajun gumbo party. The possibilities are endless. And turkey’s canceled!  Check out some insta-worthy themes here.

Just remember, it’s all about Friendsgiving anywhere anytime, just DON’T FORGET THE WINE!

Eat In or Dine Out

One thing about Millennials is that we are foodies.  We love to dine out and to be served. It’s not to say that we can’t cook – I mean, Millennials are good at anything we put our minds to, right? It’s just that we are so busy doing (Lord knows what) that we consider our time differently. We get hungry and we want food now. And pretty. So we go out.

Friendsgiving isn’t centered around glorifying the cooking of the food. The main concern is the fellowship. In that regard, Aunt Vicki’s house isn’t the top spot for the party. Anywhere that love abounds is an optimal spot for the mixer!

Millennials are quick to call up the local brunch spot, book a table for 12, show up, table cloths and center pieces in town, and turn up! Or we will descend upon that one friend who just bought her new digs and can’t wait to show off the new crib. Either way works. As long as we’re together, celebrating, and living best lives.

However, millennials do love art and beauty. A good table scape and decor go a long way! It’s all about the photos, right? And it didn’t happen unless it was posted to the ‘gram?! Sooo… grab some faux pumpkins, a cutesy fall themed runner, and splurge on the “good” throw-away serve-ware. It’ll all look fab for the photos! Score some swag here at Hobby Lobby. And if you’re like me and love to celebrate after the fact, you can hit a major come-up on deep discounts!

Flexibility

The beauty of Friendsgiving, as I stated earlier, is that there are no rules! It’s flexible to do as you choose, come as you are. Whether it’s a party of 20 sorority sisters fellowshipping back at the Alma mater, a group of co-workers doing fika on a long, Friday lunch break, or two tired, twin-moms enjoying wine and pumpkin pie while the dads are on diaper duty, it’s all good. Friendsgiving has no boundaries and all notions matter!

In closing, I want my readers to remember three simple things:  Friendsgiving can be anywhere or anytime, just don’t forget the wine! I truly hope that you enjoyed reading my blog, and please share a comment expounding on our millennial thoughts or tell me about your Friendsgiving experience.

For more family fall cuteness, check out my family’s trip to the pumpkin patch with Fall Fun with the 3 Pauls in a Pod blog!

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PS, if you love the off the shoulder dress that I’m wearing or my girlfriend Adrienne’s outfit, shop our looks here and use code “KERRI10” for 10% off at Bella Rose Boutique!