By Bianca Bower
Do you want a stress relieving event where you can hangout with your friends with minimal worries about family, school, or money? Then this fall, consider planning a Friendsgiving with your friends.
Friendsgiving is ”a celebration or meal shared among friends on or near Thanksgiving Day,” as defined by Marriam-Webster. This can include other thanksgiving festivities and similar foods to what is typically eaten on Thanksgiving. It is known that good quality Friendships can benefit your life, so as the turkey season is approaching, get together and fill your bellies with some comfort and laughter.
Mental health is very important to keep stable during the holidays and if a festive outing with your friends helps support that. According to the American Psychological Association, “Adult friendships, especially high-quality ones that provide social support and companionship, significantly predict well-being and can protect against mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.” It may be in one’s best interest to have a friendsgiving because it gives time to slow down life a little. The comfort in high quality friendships is one worth valuing.
When planning a Friendsgiving it doesn’t have to be stressful, it comes down to three key things: location, friends and food!
Try not to put too much pressure on it while deciding the best location to host the Friendsgiving. If surrounded by good friends, their company should be enough to fill the room with joy. An apartment with a kitchen, a dorm room with a table, or a common area around town are all places that could be utilized. One could even surprise their own parents and host a Friendsgiving at their house. (Maybe not that last one… unless you let them join in on the fun!)
Pitch the idea of a Friendsgiving to a group of people, such as co-workers or close friends. Just remember to surround yourself with people that know how to have a good time. And don’t forget the ones who make good food.
What brings more happiness than food? It’s hard to think of something, especially with the stress of the holidays and reuniting with relatives, food with friends can relieve this stress. When picking out what food to bring, consider fan favorites such as: stuffing, mashed potatoes, an assortment of casseroles, brussel sprouts, and pies! Here’s a reminder that Turkey is not a requirement in a Friendsgiving event. A turkey can often take too much time and be an investment financially, try coming up with your own wild menu for your friends.
This doesn’t have to be an expensive outing, most store bought food kits can be found for relatively cheap. If you have a large group of friends, everyone can separate dishes pretty evenly to have a grand assortment of items. Some affordable menu ideas can be found at a local Meijer, such as, a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese is listed as $1.25, 8 oz Mash Potatoes are found at $2.49 and a 10-inch Apple, Pecan, or Pumpkin Pie can be found at $9.99. If you would like other suggestions, reaching out to parents for some family recipes may be beneficial!
If this isn’t convincing enough, quality friendships support you from premature death, “People with no friends or poor-quality friendships are twice as likely to die prematurely,” APA quoted, so if you want to live longer, maybe have a Friendsgiving this fall to grow your relationships with your friends and enjoy some delicious food!
