In recent years, Friendsgiving has become a largely popular tradition. A group of some of your best friends, great food and the festive season are the perfect way to celebrate the fall weather and the Thanksgiving holiday this season.
Class of 2019 graduate Eva Bottcher first got the idea to have her own friendsgiving last year over break and will be hosting one again this year.
“I wanted to combine seeing all my friends, especially those back from college, with a giant holiday meal that we made together,” Bottcher said. “This year will be year number two.”
There are no rules to Friendsgiving, so Bottcher decided to switch up the food style – everything is vegan.
She had been vegan for a few years and wanted to share that part of her life with her friends. Friendsgivng is usually done in a potluck style, with everyone bringing a different entree, dessert or appetizer.
“My favorite part was seeing all of the vegan food that everyone decided to cook, especially since most people attending aren’t vegan,” Bottcher said.
In place of turkey and ham, there is a larger variety of food types, ranging from roasted veggies to vegan mac ‘n’ cheese casserole. Most of the desserts stay the same, like fruit cobblers and chocolate peanut butter pie.
“Last year, everybody brought all kinds of things, and it was an amazing meal,” she recalled.

Some things do stay the same though. A normal Thanksgiving meal is a lot of work, and Friendsgiving is no different. Most of the work is the food prep and cleanup of dishes.
“There’s a lot of work, but some people show up early to help me cook and set up” Bottcher said “The cooking and food prep takes a while, but is well worth it.”
The group needs to have a plan for leftovers, too.“Last year there were tons of leftovers, so we had to make sure it all got taken home with someone for them and their family to enjoy,” she said.
All in all, the preparation and clean up for the get together can take anywhere from a total of 1 to 4 hours depending on how many people come to help out.
Sophomore Isabel Dalsimer went to Bottcher’s Friendsgiving last year and helped out with meal prep beforehand and dishes after.
“My favorite is probably eating all the delicious food and being around my friends,” Dalsimer said.
For her, making all vegan food makes the process more fun, as she could experiment with so many ingredients.
“I knew that everyone would be able to eat it and no one would miss out on a good dish,” Dalsimer said. “Friendsgiving was really fun and I’m glad I got to go.”
A twist on a national holiday, Friendsgiving could be the perfect way to bring you and your friends together this holiday season.Being able to share traditions and enjoy some Thanksgiving classics is what Friendsgiving is all about.
“I like sharing my vegan lifestyle with my friends, and so getting creative to make really yummy dishes that everyone will enjoy is always fun,” Bottcher said.
If you’re looking to make your holiday just a little different, gathering friends for a Thanksgiving dinner could be a blast.