From determining who makes the turkey to classic tableside games, many families have their own well-established Thanksgiving traditions to carry on each year. But traditions have to start somewhere…
A Thanksgiving-related celebration that has gained more traction in recent years is the advent of “Friendsgiving.” It’s a way of celebrating the same sentiments of thankfulness and togetherness as Thanksgiving – along with enjoying delicious food – but with your friends. At Oldways, we believe that good health comes both from what we eat and how we live, and that includes cultivating good relationships and leaning into the richness of community. Friendsgiving is the perfect way to do just that!
The beauty of Friendsgiving is that no two variations look alike. Many people opt for potlucks so that nobody is expected to feed the entire crowd – but all Friendsgiving celebrations have their own themes, festivities and traditions. So, if you’re looking to start traditions of your own with a Friendsgiving celebration, why not give some of these options a try?
Set Up a “Build-Your-Own” Station
Instead of sweating over the traditional Thanksgiving mains, try setting up a build-your-own bowl station so that each guest can tailor their meal to their tastes. For instance, you could stock the station with items like farro, fresh vegetables, feta and tzatziki for a Mediterranean-style bowl; lean into the taste of Latin American heritage with burrito options like fresh tortillas, beans, salsas and guacamole; or set out a base broth alongside add-ins like noodles, mushrooms, poached eggs and aromatics for Asian heritage soups. The sky is the limit!
No matter what you opt for, setting the stage with lots of delicious, fresh, and easy-to-prep ingredients will make for a delicious, unique meal that’s in the Friendsgiving spirit and can vary from year to year. You could even have everyone bring an add-in, potluck-style!
Bring Themed Boards
Something that’s taken social media by storm is the idea of having each Friendsgiving participant bring a pre-designated “board.” In the same style as charcuterie boards, these could range from staple items – like a veggie board, a fruit board, a board of traditional and raw-milk cheeses, a hummus board or even something a little more adventurous than your typical board – like a sushi or tinned fish board. Some board themes even involve designating a color to each participant, encouraging everyone to bring a completely monochromatic board of varying foods.
Whichever route you take, this twist on a traditional potluck is delicious, conversation-starting and the perfect tradition in the making!
Enjoy a Tasting
Be it olives or olive oil, wine, cheese, or another heritage ingredient, this can serve as a great starter to the main meal and is sure to get people conversing. It’s also easy to do each year, switching up the food category and producers.
A good tasting means taking the time together to carefully taste and discuss each item, savoring the complexity and variety within a single ingredient category. This is a great way to foster a thankfulness for the food you’re enjoying together, as well as the farmers, producers and traditions that made it possible.
Take a Stroll Together
Incorporating heritage diet ingredients into your meals is an excellent way to practice healthy habits, but it’s not the only one – along with practicing togetherness, movement is at the base of every heritage diet pyramid.
Instead of lying down immediately after eating, try to incorporate some enjoyable movement into your Friendsgiving. If it’s accessible to you, head to a nearby greenspace and take some time to walk and talk together – if not, dance parties are a great backup (or even first) option!
Trade Recipe Cards
Recipes passed down from generation to generation or from culture to culture are essential to longstanding heritage food traditions, and it’s a wonderful way to start your own. As a fun activity, have every guest bring enough copies of a recipe they love – it can be a family recipe, one they recently stumbled across, or something of their own devising – for everyone. Food is a magical tool for connection, and learning why certain recipes are meaningful to your friends will in turn allow you to learn something new about them as people.
Traditions wouldn’t exist without someone starting them, and it’s always a good time to begin your own alongside the people that mean the most to you, both family and friends. Enjoy the tried-and-true traditions of the season without being afraid to branch out and create your own – you never know what Friendsgiving activities you’ll still be practicing years down the line.
Happy eating, chatting and tradition-making!
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