Friendsgiving is a Thanksgiving-style meal people share with friends, often as a potluck and often on a different day than the official holiday. In 2026, U.S. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, so many groups gather the weekend before or after. This hub collects hosting, menu, etiquette, and small-space guides. The core how-to is how to host a Friendsgiving. For the Thursday holiday itself, use the Thanksgiving guide and how to host Thanksgiving. When the meal is over, pack leftovers with the Thanksgiving leftovers hub.
The idea, the date, and the invitation
- What is Friendsgiving?
- Friendsgiving vs. Thanksgiving
- When to host Friendsgiving
- Friendsgiving invitation wording
- How to host a Friendsgiving
- A Friendsgiving day-of timeline
Food, drinks, and the potluck
- Friendsgiving menu ideas
- Vegetarian Friendsgiving menu
- Friendsgiving appetizer ideas
- Friendsgiving dessert ideas
- Friendsgiving drink ideas
- Friendsgiving potluck sign-up ideas
- How to assign dishes for a Friendsgiving potluck
- What to bring to Friendsgiving
- What to bring to a Thanksgiving potluck
- How to keep food warm at Friendsgiving
- How to pack food to take to Thanksgiving
- How to make mini Thanksgiving pies
- How to make pecan pie bars
Space, budget, and different formats
- How to host Friendsgiving in a small apartment
- How to host a small Friendsgiving
- How to host a Friendsgiving brunch
- How to host an office Friendsgiving
- How to host Friendsgiving on a budget
- How to split the cost of Friendsgiving
- How to host Thanksgiving on a budget
Etiquette, table, and games
- Friendsgiving etiquette
- How to be a good Thanksgiving guest
- Friendsgiving host gift ideas
- What should I wear to Thanksgiving dinner?
- Friendsgiving decor ideas
- How to set a Friendsgiving table
- Friendsgiving games
- How to handle a difficult conversation at Thanksgiving
Keep hot food at 140°F or warmer on a buffet, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. If you serve leftover turkey at a weekend brunch, reheat it to 165°F. Those rules do not change because the guest list is friends instead of relatives.
Helpful extras for Friendsgiving
Four useful extras for hosting or bringing a dish. Each product opens on Amazon in a new tab.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Friendsgiving?
It is a Thanksgiving-style meal shared with friends, often as a potluck, and often held on a different day than the official Thursday holiday.
When should I host Friendsgiving in 2026?
There is no required date. Many groups use the weekend before or after Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 2026.
Where do I start if I am the host?
Read how to host a Friendsgiving, pick a date, send an invitation, and open a potluck sign-up.