Holidays
These Friendsgiving themes will spice up your celebration.
These Friendsgiving Themes Will Make Your Celebration So Special

Time to get creative.

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Friendsgiving is a fun and wholesome way to spend time with the people who aren’t officially your family but are definitely your people. It’s a day to celebrate with your besties and remember just how thankful you all are for each other. But if you’ve been doing traditional Friendsgivings for a while now, or maybe just want to throw a particularly special one for the first time, you can get creative by enjoying these Friendsgiving theme ideas that are stuffed with Instagrammable joy.

Friendsgiving feast with your besties back home, gobble up a yummy dinner with your roommates, or do a combination of both. Planning a great Friendsgiving theme to go along with your turkey, stuffing, and pie is always a great idea to get everyone involved — even if you’re coordinating a virtual celebration. Whether you work together to create a fun menu or bring on the festive cheer with fuzzy slippers and coordinating pajamas, think of this special day as a celebration where your creativity can really shine.

Whether your squad is looking to try something new for Friendsgiving or you’re throwing one with your besties for the first time, the most important thing is being able to spend time with your closest pals and have a good time. So, get excited about these 11 Friendsgiving theme ideas: All you need to do is set the table, send out the invites, and prepare for a fun Friendsgiving everyone will be thankful for this year and beyond.

01
A Friendsgiving That's Stuffed With Sweetness

A candy-themed Friendsgiving is such a sweet way to celebrate any sweet-loving friends you have. Since you and your friends may opt for dessert first, substitute your normal Thanksgiving appetizers with sugary treats and mugs of hot cocoa ($16, macys.com) instead. Fill bowls with fall-colored candy like gummy hearts ($9, sugarfina.com) and autumn mix candy corn ($10, amazon.com). Set a chocolate turkey for your centerpiece ($99, harryanddavid.com), and create a Willy Wonka Friendsgiving party even Willy would be proud of.

02
A Super Comfy Pajama Party

Who even needs to dress up for Thanksgiving this year? You and your crew will totally love having a pajama Friendsgiving party in your coordinating onesies. After dinner, plan a sleepover with matching pj sets ($22, forever21.com) — which can be done virtually or in your living room with your roomies — complete with string lights ($13, crateandbarrel.com), throw pillows, red wine if you are over 21 ($25, mcbridesisters.com), snacks, and holiday movies. In the morning, you can transform those leftovers into a delicious Thanksgiving breakfast feast. Think of all the amazing pictures you are sure to get with this plan.

03
A “Tom Hanksgiving”

Celebrate America's most beloved actor with a Tom Hanks-themed Friendsgiving. There can be Tom Hanks movie-themed food like Catch Me If You Yams and a Big Turkey. After your dinner, enjoy a Tom Hanks movie marathon, because there are so many good ones to choose from. Hey, you could even order matching T. Hanks sweaters ($36, redbubble.com), pillows ($20, subliworks.com), and even a life-size Tom Hanks cutout ($70, celebrity-cutouts.com) to bring it all together.

04
A Musical Friendsgiving

Instead of just focusing on food this year, perhaps share some music instead. Thank each one of your friends by giving them some of your favorite tunes. Make a Thanksgiving Spotify playlist that can either be a mix of your fave songs from this year or a real throwback mix of songs you used to jam out to in high school together. You can go all in on the theme with music decor, such as music note garlands ($12, etsy.com) and decorative vinyls ($20, amazon.com) to hang on the wall. Crank it up with a portable speaker ($70, walmart.com), and enjoy your friends’ company while you roast that turkey.

05
A Pie Party

Pie just might be the best part about Thanksgiving dinner, which is why a pie party for your squad could be epic. Have everyone bring a pie to present, and feel free to go all out decorating your pies with autumn leaf cutouts ($10, surlatable.com) and sparkly sprinkles ($12, fancysprinkles.com), so it’s the definition of Insta-worthy. Have everyone vote for their favorite. Once everyone picks the winners, dig in. And you can even hang up a festive pie garland ($17, papersource.com) for some on-theme decor.

06
A Football Friendsgiving

Football is a beloved tradition for many people on Thanksgiving. Watch a game on TV or play with your housemates in the backyard with a good old-fashioned football ($25, nike.com). Serve up some traditional game day snacks before the big meal, such as bean dip, tortilla chips ($4, target.com), and wings. Sport your fave team's colors in a cozy oversized sweater ($49, nflshop.com), throw up some football decorations ($15, etsy.com), and it’s officially game on.

07
A Potluck With Whatever You Have

This is one of the best Thanksgiving ideas for friends who live near each other and already have stocked pantries and fridges. Everyone likely has their own specialty they’d like to bring to the Friendsgiving table, and now is the time to show off your ooking skills. Put up a sign-up sheet for each course, and let the preparations begin with what you already have in the kitchen. It’s a no-stress Friendsgiving theme, and variety is the spice of life. To elevate the vibe, make sure the host has festive table settings ($4, partycity.com), on-theme serving dishes ($15, target.com), pinecone candles ($13, crateandbarrel.com) to light the table, and some Turkey Day napkins ($11, bedbathandbeyond.com).

08
A Friendsgiving That’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Break out the ugly holiday sweaters ($18, hm.com) early for a December-themed Friendsgiving. Jump on the next month of holidays sooner than everyone else. No disrespect to Thanksgiving — you're simply gobbling up the day with a little extra wintertime sparkle, such as snowflake lights ($14, amazon.com). Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or another winter holiday, any December-inspired theme will work. Bring out the winter decor, stock up on candy canes ($2, target.com), and stream those holiday classics after dinner such as Home Alone and Love Actually.

09
A Cozycore Friendsgiving

Throw the ultimate TikTok-approved cozycore Friendsgiving by making the dress code cable knit sweaters ($28, target.com) and fuzzy socks. Make sure your party is stocked up on a wide assortment of warming teas, along with cozy activities like making felt pumpkins ($20, etsy.com) and acorns ($10, etsy.com) to adorn the dinner table. And if you’re being extra, send your besties home with their own knitted duvet candle ($15, elevatedscentz.com) as a party favor at the end of the cozy night in.

10
A Kitschy Turkey Day

Wear your goofiest Thanksgiving-themed sweater ($30, partycity.com) or vest and some pumpkin earrings ($4, claires.com) to embrace the kitschiest Friendsgiving possible. For decorations, opt for the most in-your-face things you can think of: a “gobble” garland ($24, etsy.com) or a big paper turkey ($9, amazon.com) to serve as your table centerpiece. Top the night off with some cringe-worthy karaoke with you and your besties.

11
A July In November Friendsgiving

Who said Friendsgiving themes need to always be fall-themed? Before you and your besties get thrown into the dead of winter post-Thanksgiving, throw yourselves a faux summer bash while you enjoy your turkey. Wear your favorite summer vacation outfits, throw on some groovy shades ($14, hausofparis.com), sip piña coladas out of pineapple cups ($5, target.com), and decorate the party with things like pool floats ($15, target.com), coconuts, and paper umbrellas ($4, amazon.com).

The CDC recommends traveling only after you’re fully vaccinated and your vaccine has become fully effective. If you’re not fully vaccinated and must travel, check the CDC guidelines before you book. Check your destination’s vaccination and testing requirements before you depart.

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