Friendsgiving: Start a New Holiday Tradition in Your Neighborhood
At NBS2Go, we love to bring you fresh ideas that you can use to reach out to your neighbors throughout the year. Remember, a mighty apple tree that produces bushels of fruit came from one small seed! Michelle Coon brings us a “seedling” of an idea to plant during the season of gratitude …
Last year, our son told his dad and me he wouldn’t be arriving until noon on Thanksgiving Day because he was celebrating Friendsgiving on Wednesday night. We’d never heard of Friendsgiving before, but it reminds me a little of the Peanuts cartoon, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, where Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends over to Charlie Brown’s for Thanksgiving. Along with Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock, he attempts to throw together a Thanksgiving dinner. Our son and his friends gathered in his small apartment, put up a table and shared a turkey dinner. It made me think about my neighbors and how we typically part ways for Thanksgiving to spend the day with our families.
What if we celebrated Friendsgiving in our neighborhoods?
Roasting a turkey and having everyone bring a side or dessert would be fun, especially if everyone shared their recipes. I love learning about other people’s holiday family traditions, especially when they involve food! Our family had a special salad called Titus Salad. Growing up, it was always my job to chop the walnuts for the salad. Now that we travel for Thanksgiving, I bring the family Chex mix. The original recipe was given to me, with the cost of each item noted along with box sizes that are no longer available!
If a whole meal sounds overwhelming, how about hosting a dessert? Ask your guests to bring their favorite fall food and have a gathering. A great ice-breaker would be going around and sharing what each person is thankful for this year. It would also be a tender time to share a testimony of gratitude, detailing how the Lord has provided and protected you through a trial. People are earnestly seeking vulnerability and real relationships. Let them know how a relationship with God has changed your life and praise His name.
I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Ps 40:1-3
What ideas do you have for a Friendsgiving feast?
Michelle Coon lives in Atlanta. She and her husband Jeff have two grown sons. On the weekends, they enjoy exploring the small towns of Georgia, hiking and finding a good farmer’s market. Michelle is an active participant and facilitator in Neighborhood Bible studies, and she is passionate about the Acrostic Bible Study Method.
