With the holiday season approaching and Thanksgiving right around the corner, there is so much to be grateful for this year. Thanksgiving happens to be one of my favorite celebrations because it’s a holiday meant for good food, and good company. Celebrating Thanksgiving with close friends is one of the best ways to spend it, aside from spending it with your family. Now with its own definition on Urban Dictionary, “Friendsgiving,” is known as a special time when friends (who are basically family) gather together and give thanks, typically on the Wednesday before or Friday after Thanksgiving, since Thanksgiving is usually reserved for family gatherings. One of the best parts about Friendsgiving is that it allows for all the eating and drinking of Thanksgiving but without the judgment.
Everyone has multiple types of friends. The more diverse your friend group is, the more exciting your life will be. But no matter how different they may be from one another, true friends all have one thing in common: they are always there for you when you need them and make you genuinely happy. Although no friendship is perfect and there may be some things about them that can get on your nerves, you love them no matter what. So this Thanksgiving when you see your friends, be sure to thank them for all their constant support and love throughout the years.
Every friend comes with a different personality. The classic TV sitcom Friends successfully captures all of the stereotypical types of friends you have in life through the show’s six main characters: Monica, Rachel, Joey, Chandler, Phoebe, and Ross. These characters reflect the real-life personalities of our own friends.
Find out which character would most accurately represent which friend of yours on a typical Friendsgiving occasion:
1. The one who cooks and hosts the party.
We all have that one friend who’s obsessed with event planning. From sending out the invites, crafting the perfect decorations and cooking up the best recipes, leave it to them to get the job done. Although their type A personality can be a bit overbearing at times, you are thankful to have them when it comes to party planning and don’t know what you would do without them (or their gourmet pumpkin pie). Just be sure not to get in their way in the kitchen…
2. The one who should never be allowed in the kitchen.
Although this friend tries to be helpful by offering to cook, it never turns out well…
In order to avoid hurt feelings, be sure to have all the food planned and prepared ahead of time so that when they ask to help out, everything is already set. Although this friend is always up for having a good time and makes great company, by no means are they chef-material. You may know this from past experience similar to the Thanksgiving ‘Where Ross Got High’ and Rachel made everyone try her English trifle dessert, which also happened to be half shepherd’s pie…
3. The one who can always finish their food.
Perhaps this friend would like the half trifle, half shepherd’s pie dessert, just like Joey did; “I mean, what’s not to like? Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat, gooooood.” A true member of the clean plate club, this friend never fails to leave a crumb. Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday and it’s easy to see why. Their loving relationship with food is a serious one and their incessant appetite makes you wonder if they ever feel full. Unless you want them to finish your meal for you, it is best not to share your food with them. You can count on this friend to take home the leftovers (if there are even any).
4. The one who makes jokes at the dinner table.
We all have that one friend who always has a sly comment to make about almost everything. They never fail to make everyone laugh with their quick wit and great sense of humor. You can rely on this friend to fill in the awkward silences and keep things from getting too serious. Known best for their sarcasm, this friend is notorious for poking fun of everyone. It’s something we all do when we’re close enough as friends, and even though it can go a bit far sometimes, you can’t fault them for it.
5. The one who’s vegetarian.
There’s bound to be at least one vegetarian, vegan or some other type of picky eater in the friend group. Although they can expect everyone else to be eating turkey (and hopefully aren’t offended by this), they’ll also be expecting plenty of other meatless or dairy-free options to choose from. So be sure to include plenty of side dishes, which there happen to be a lot of on Thanksgiving. I mean, who doesn’t like creamy mashed potatoes, tasty stuffing, sweet corn, and warm biscuits?
6. The one who reminisces on the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
You love them for their corny, cliché sayings. An old soul at heart, this friend is all for tradition and timeless tales. It’s no surprise if they give a brief history of the Pilgrims during the 1600s at the dinner table. But because you’ve been friends for so long, you love and accept them for their dorky self. Sensitive and in touch with their feelings, they remind us of the true meaning of Thanksgiving and the things we are grateful for…like having friends!
Each friendship is different and never akin, but you love them all the same. They bring joy, bliss and love to your life every day and you don’t know what you would do without them. They are your second family.