Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. John's chapter.

Thanksgiving is a festive part of the holiday season – dedicated to being thankful for the better things in our lives. Traditionally, many spend this time with their family, but I believe it is just as important to celebrate this time of being thankful with your friends. Here are three reasons why you should have a Friendsgiving and how you can celebrate. 

  1. Your friends need to feel appreciated, too. Oftentimes, at least in my experience, when your friendships aren’t being appreciated, they often fall out. Not saying a Friendsgiving will entirely prevent a fallout of a friendship, but making the effort to spend time with your friends, like at a Friendsgiving, will never hurt. Spending time with your loved ones is a precious part of Thanksgiving, so your closest friendships should be included in those celebrations. 
  2. You don’t have to spend or do much. Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving are about spending time with loved ones and being thankful. You don’t have to empty the wallet or go all out as long as you and your friends are having a good time. It’s about bonding, making memories and spending time with one another.
  3. Why not? I understand if you aren’t home for the holidays or they aren’t, vice versa. But otherwise, Friendsgiving doesn’t have to be a long, grand event but rather just making the effort to spend time with the friends you love. 

But enough on WHY you should have a Friendsgiving, but more on HOW you could:

  1. Host a potluck. This is a casual and cheap way to bring everyone together, especially since food gatherings are common around the Thanksgiving season. Everyone brings a meal item or snack to the gathering, so everyone pitches in. Last year, my friends and I all met up at my (now roommate) friend’s house, watched a movie, prank-called some people and just had a blast for a few hours together. The memories made that day by simply being in one another’s company stuck with me, given I am still friends with them all a year later.
  2. Go out and hang out with each other. Maybe you don’t want to host a Friendsgiving or want to go through the effort of making something. Go out! There’s plenty to do out that can be affordable and personable. No matter what you choose to do, spending time with your friends doing things you love and doing it together is what matters and is what makes it special. 
  3. Visit on Thanksgiving day. After you have your Thanksgiving meal, what else do you do that day? Even if it’s for a short period of time, if you can and have access to, just go stop by your friend’s houses and see them while you can. In my opinion, any effort to see or bond with a friend is a good one. I would rather see my friend for 20 minutes than not see them at all. 

Ultimately, I feel friendships can sometimes go underappreciated. I know in my life, I have so much to thank for the friendships that I am in and so much to appreciate them for. If you have the time and ability to, go see your friends, spend time with them and make memories during your time off from school. 

Originally from Maryland but now studying in NYC, Stephanie Maceiko is a freshman studying Government and Politics and minoring in Marketing at the St. John's University chapter. After graduation, she hopes to return home to the Maryland-DC area to work with politicians, pursue lobbying and eventually, one day, run for office. For the chapter, she has written about music, movies, politics and aspects of the life of a female college student. She hopes to write pieces that not only gives her a voice, but also finds the readers who enjoy and need to hear about what she discusses in her pieces. In her free time, she likes to listen to music, watch movies, photography, traveling, and go to concerts. If you have any comments or suggestions for her pieces, feel free to email her at stephaniemaceiko@gmail.com or hit her up on instagram @444.ssteph !