It's the most wonderful time of the year: Thanksgiving and all the mini celebrations that come with it. There's the Thanksgiving office party that's always lit, the menu specials at your favorite local pub, and of course, Friendsgiving — a special day where you and all of your friends gather in one of your too-small apartments, try your hand at cooking, and have a little too much wine. It's a grand time for all, but there can be some annoying things about Friendsgiving when you’re single that are way too relatable if you're not bringing a plus-one this year.
Let's face it: While there are tons of perks to being single, there may be certain occasions where you might forget what they are. Family gatherings can be stressful if everyone in your fam has nosy questions, such as: Why you aren't married yet? Who are you dating? Friendsgiving (although usually filled with supportive people who love you) might get annoying if you feel like you're third, fifth, or seventh wheeling a gathering full of couples. While it can and should be a blast filled with delicious food and alcohol, when you're single — and especially if most of your friends are in relationships — Friendsgiving can sometimes feel kind of lonely. But it doesn't have to!
While you already know that being single rocks, if you need to commiserate over the fact that you just spent four hours surrounded by happy couples, you've come to the right place. Here's what Friendsgiving looks like if all your friends are coupled up.
This isn't as bad as it could be, like, for instance, at your family Thanksgiving when you might be forced to sit at the kid's table. Still, at Friendsgiving, if you're single and all of your friends who are coupled off are grouped together, you might easily feel left out.
There are definitely ways to combat this, so don't worry too much. You could suggest grabbing a punch of pillows and eating on the floor, or even going around the table so everyone can say what they're thankful for. That way, the conversation flows naturally, and you won't feel like you don't have anyone to talk to. Remember, you're with friends!
Listen, it's perfectly admirable if your friends have their entire lives planned out, down to their future children's wedding venues. But, if you're single and don't know where you see yourself in five years, then it can get annoying having to listen to your friends go on and on. Whether or not you want marriage or kids, it's still not the most fun thing to deal with. No, you are not a jealous grouch. You're perfectly normal for feeling like you can't participate in the conversations going on around you.
However, if you'd like to start up your own conversation with your friends, try asking them something they can reflect upon. For example, "What's something you did from the last year that you're so glad you took a chance on?" or ask about what they're grateful for for next year. The opportunities are truly endless.
This is arguably one of the most frustrating parts of being the only single person at an event, no matter the occasion. But at a Friendsgiving, when you're surrounded by some of your favorite people, hearing all about how you shouldn't give up hope that you'll find someone special is just plain exhausting. Who said I even want to find someone right now? Thanks but no thanks, fam.
If your friends keep bringing up how much they wish you had someone special in your life, just tell them all about the other amazing things you've got going on, like a trip abroad or a recent promotion. *Mic drop.*
Why do couples only have to bring one dish to Friendsgiving, even though there's two of them? Single people always get the short end of the stick on things like this. It's like gifts, too. Couples can give one gift together, and single people will end up spending more money every time. One present = one person. Am I right?
At least, at the end of this blessed day, there is plenty of delicious food on the table to go around, and that's definitely not something to be mad about.
One of the biggest misconceptions about being single is that you're not single by choice. People always assume that you just need to meet the right person to be happy, and while they usually mean well, your friends spending all of Friendsgiving trying to set you up with their coworker's cousin's neighbor is so not how you want to spend your day. You have full permission to shut this down if necessary.
Simply tell your friends that you're perfectly happy and don't need to meet Greg from down the street.
Finally, what Friendsgiving is complete without everyone gathering in the living room of whoever's tiny apartment you're at and snoozing while episodes of Friends play in the background? Being single might mean that you don't get to fall asleep in the arms of the person you're in love with, but it doesn't mean that you can't cuddle up to your BFF or make a bee-line to the door and meet up with that hottie you've been hooking up with from work.
While there may be many frustrating aspects about being single during the holidays, try to remember that you don't need anyone else to complete you, because you're fabulous all by your d*mn self. Plus, during Friendsgiving, you don't have to share your dessert with anyone, you can stay out as long as you want, and you're surrounded by friends who you love and cherish, and who love and cherish you. There's a reason it's called Friendsgiving, and that means you can still have a great time, talk, eat, and drink wine — with or without a partner. This Thanksgiving, let's practice gratitude — for being our fabulous, single selves, and everything that has to offer.
