Friendsgiving At Work (2023): Your A-Z Guide to Food Ideas, Décor, and Games
Boost workplace bonds with our 2023 Friendsgiving guide. Explore delicious food ideas, festive décor, and engaging games for a memorable office celebration!
Friendsgiving is an endearing tradition gaining momentum amidst the hustle and bustle of the corporate world. Don’t yet know what it is? It’s a heartwarming celebration of friendship and gratitude.
Now that it’s making its way into the workplace, it can be the perfect occasion for HR professionals and corporates to use for fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared appreciation among colleagues and employees.
That said, our guide gives Friendsgiving a refreshing twist. Instead of a mere gathering with the traditional turkey and pumpkin dinner, it’s replete with innovation, creativity, and sustainability.
With our help, you can transform this occasion into an opportunity to strengthen team bonds, boost morale, and cultivate a more inclusive and supportive work environment.
TLDR
Friendsgiving is a relatively new take on the traditional holiday.
What’s even newer is it’s making its way into the workplace.
HR professionals can turn it into a workplace celebration about food and fun to foster a sense of belonging, appreciation, and shared purpose.
Our corporate Friendsgiving guide is filled with innovative trends like eco-friendly options, fusion foods, and inclusive activities.
Friendsgiving Decorations That Spark Conversations
Use these ideas to craft innovative decorations that adorn your space and spark meaningful conversations. From interactive table settings to quirky centerpieces, let your décor tell a story and create lasting memories.
Transform recycled items into works of art that not only beautify your party’s venue but also reflect your commitment to sustainability and serve as conversation starters.
2. Illuminate with Eco-Friendly Lighting
Create a warm, inviting ambiance with the following options:
Arrange LED candles of varying heights and sizes on tables. Opt for flickering candles that mimic real candles. You can also place the LED candles in glass hurricanes on the dining table. Go with colors that will complement your table setting.
String solar-powered fairy lights along columns, fences, or trees for a magical and enchanting atmosphere.
Does your venue come with a patio or a walkway? Arrange lanterns along them to provide a soft and inviting glow.
Celebrating Friendsgiving outdoors? Make the space more festive with different colored solar-powered lanterns or string lights.
3. Incorporate Seasonal Flora for a Natural Touch
There’s no better way to go down the Eco-friendly Friendsgiving decorations route than by using autumn leaves, pinecones, and other seasonal items for a natural décor aesthetic:
Autumn Leaves
Scatter various colored autumn leaves across the dining table to create a stunning centerpiece. Raise the elegance factor by adding a few candles or small pumpkins.
You can also use autumn leaves as placemats. For a more personal touch, write the guests’ names on each leaf with a calligraphy pen before placing them under each dinner plate.
Tuck into napkins or tie them around the stems of silverware to add a festive touch.
Pinecones
Vases or glass bowls full of different-sized pinecones can serve as natural centerpieces. Elevate the look with sprigs of greenery or candles.
Write your guests’ names on them before using them as place card holders.
Seasonal Fruits
Carved or uncarved gourds, pumpkins, and squashes can work as accents. Grab seasonal fruits, such as pears, apples, and pomegranates of various sizes, and paint them in different colors.
4. Personalize Table Settings with Name Cards
You can create personalized name cards for a really thoughtful touch. Use one of these ideas to DIY a piece that will make employees feel special:
Create a truly unique name card with calligraphy.
Customize by including a fun fact about an employee, such as their favorite food, hobby, or travel destination.
Show off your creativity by basing a limerick or poem on the guest in question.
Have an artist draw caricatures of the guests for a good laugh.
Grab a photo of the employee from the official DropEvent album for a more personal and memorable name card.
This is another idea that comes with several benefits.
Having a space where colleagues can post notes of gratitude fosters a positive workplace culture and increases employment engagement levels.
Board Location & Design
Place the board in an easily accessible and high-traffic area. If it’s an in-office venue, go for the break room. If not, then opt for an entrance or place it by the elevator.
Pick a visually appealing board, such as a bulletin or whiteboard. You can also decorate a chalk wall and use that.
Ensure you provide colleagues with pens, markers, or chalks that they’ll need to write their gratitude notes.
Be clear about the guidelines, such as all notes should begin with… or all notes should end in…, length of the notes, content. And so on.
We’d recommend encouraging employees to express their gratitude in a way besides prose, such as through pictures, photos, poems, and lyrics.
Request the managers to lead by example—they can encourage others to come forward through their own participation.
7. Infuse More Colors: Balloons and Streamers
Friendsgiving won’t be the same without themed decorations.
Check out these ideas for combining balloons and streamers in autumn colors for a festive yet professional look:
i. Create an Autumnal Balloon Arch
You can create a balloon arch and place it at the entrance for an impressive way to welcome your guests. We’d recommend mixing balloons of various sizes and shapes in these fall colors:
Red
Yellow
Orange
Brown
Gold
Twine in some fall foliage, acorns, or pinecones to highlight the theme.
ii. Design a Cascading Balloon Garland
Does your venue feature a stairway? How about a large wall? Use either to drape a cascading balloon garland for an eye-catching display. We’d suggest using the same colored balloons that transition from light to darker shades for an Ombré effect.
iii. Craft a Balloon Centerpiece
Want a stunning centerpiece that features balloons and ribbons? Make one with a base of orange balloons with other fall colors for accents. Then twine streamers & ribbons around the structure to bring the whole thing together.
iv. Hang Clusters of Balloons
Use streamers for suspending clusters of balloons from the ceiling for that festive look. We’d advise going with different sizes and autumn shades for a dynamic effect.
v. Use Fall-Themed Streamers Everywhere
Once your balloon arches and centerpieces are complete, complement these decorations with fall-colored streamers draped along the walls, windows, and furniture. This should give the whole ambiance a cohesive vibe.
Our advice? Add variety by using different widths and patterns of streamers.
Who says eco-friendly or disposable tableware options can’t also be elegant and convenient? These 4 options below sure prove otherwise:
Leaf plates, such as those of the Areca palm, made from naturally fallen foliage, are biodegradable, eco-friendly, and elegant-looking. What’s more? They’re sturdy enough to withstand exposure to hot and cold foods!
Bagasse is a sugarcane processing byproduct. But this fiber is biodegradable, compostable, and microwave-safe. The natural white and glossy color gives this tableware a sophisticated look.
Bamboo is a renewable and sustainable source of disposable cutlery. Aside from that, it’s reusable and sturdy. The naturally light brown color and smooth texture will lend an earthy look to your festivities.
You can also use tableware made from post-consumer waste paper. They’re eco-friendly and microwave-safe, so they’ll hold hot and cold food without warping. Their natural brown color adds a rustic touch to the decorations.
Amazing ambiance? Check! Office Activities? On their way!
Friendsgiving office activities will keep the attendees entertained. These games can also help them bond with each other for the betterment of the team, themselves, and the company.
Here are our ideas:
1. Set Up Board Game Stations
You’ll find all the details about setting board game stations here. So, you know the hows, let’s look into the whats, i.e., games to play and whys:
Word association games, such as Codenames, and cooperative game challenges, like Pandemic, so that your players will have to work together to win.
Resource management games, such as Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, and 7 Wonders, where the players must fortify their position while also competing with others.
A fun and light-hearted relay race with mini pumpkins sounds like the ideal activity for an office Friendsgiving party. Doesn’t it?
Here’s how to put one together:
Materials
Enough mini pumpkins for all teams
Spoons
Buckets/bowls
Markers for distinguishing the starting and finish lines, such as tape, chalk, or cones
Stopwatch
Prizes
Set-up and Rules
You’ll need a space large enough for all the teams to be able to run comfortably.
Mark the starting and finish lines.
(Optional) Decorate the course with autumn-themed elements, such as hay bales, gourds, and corn stalks.
Divide participants into teams of threes or fours and assign a designated starting and finish line to each member.
Place a large bowl/bucket full of mini pumpkins at each starting line.
Hand a spoon to the first member of each team.
Explain the rules, i.e., scoop up a pumpkin with the spoon, carry it to the finish line, and place it in the bucket. The next member will repeat until the race is complete.
Up the level of challenge by adding:
Obstacles, such as cones or chairs, to the course. The participants must weave around cones or jump over the chairs to pass.
A time limit so that the team to complete the race in the shortest time wins.
3. Host a Themed Trivia Contest
Create a trivia game based on fun facts about Thanksgiving. Find all the details & ideas here.
4. Start With a ‘What I’m Thankful for’ Icebreaker
A guide to conducting a meaningful icebreaker that strengthens team bonds and gets people to share their thoughts on gratitude.
Get employee photos from your DropEvent album and use Canva to turn them into Gratitude Cards.
Distribute the cards to each participant and ask them to write down what they’re personally or professionally thankful for.
Once everyone’s done, collect the cards and scan them to upload to your company’s DE album.
Run a slideshow using the album with the cards so that everyone can see what makes their colleagues happy and grateful.
Continue reading gratitude statements until the end of the slideshow.
Share the album’s QR code and encourage participants to share their statements on social media.
Repost the employee statements using a specific hashtag.
5. Pin the Feather on the Turkey
A workplace-friendly twist on a classic game, fostering light competition and laughter:
Materials
Turkey cut-out (printed or drawn) large enough for everyone to participate comfortably
Cardstock or construction paper feathers
Blindfolds
Adhesive tape or pins
Prizes (optional)
Preparation
Label the spot on the turkey where the players should pin the feathers—or keep it a surprise for even more fun!
Explain the rules: once blindfolded, a participant will be spun and guided toward the turkey cut-out. They’ll have to pin their feather onto the designated—or secret—spot.
Gameplay
Gather everybody before blindfolding a volunteer.
Spin the blindfolded participant gently a few times to disorient them for additional challenge and fun.
Then, guide them towards the turkey and watch where they pin the feather.
Reveal the result after removing the blindfold. Encourage everyone to applaud the participant's effort, regardless of accuracy.
Repeat so everyone can have their turn.
Award the closest pins.
Variations
Use recycled materials to make the feathers.
Add company signage, such as logo or slogans, onto the feathers.
Have the participants make their own feathers and offer prizes for the most creative designs.
6. Bring Everyone Together with Thanksgiving Charades
Get everybody involved in a charades game with prompts related to Thanksgiving and autumn.
Gameplay
Start by dividing the participants into two teams.
Use readymade prompts or make your own and put them in a hat.
Have someone from each team draw a prompt and act it out while their teammates try to guess.
The first team with a correct guess gets a point.
Repeat until the prompts run out.
Award prizes or bragging rights to the team with the most points.
Prompts to Use
Pretend to be a turkey (the turkey trot).
Mimic pie-making, such as rolling out the dough or eating (the pie maker).
Act out the essence of fall, like falling leaves, sipping warm beverages by the fireplace, etc. (the fall)
Pretend you’re busy with the harvest, like tending crops, picking apples, or gathering pumpkins (let’s get harvesting).
Mimic Thanksgiving parade characters and floats, such as giant balloons and festive performers (start walking).
Show what a typical Friendsgiving feast looks like, like burning the turkey, setting the table, and passing around the gravy (time to feast).
Express how people show gratitude in different ways, from a gratitude journal to giving gifts, etc. (let’s be grateful)
Act out the chaotic atmosphere in stores during Black Friday shopping, such as getting in long lines, braving crowded stores, and coming across excited shoppers (get, set, shop).
7. Add Adventure to the Night with Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
Plan a scavenger hunt where the employees look for items that represent what they’re grateful for. It should help bring the players closer and get to know each other better.
Organizing
Compile a list of tokens representing gratitude—check out our list below for ideas.
Next, develop creative, engaging, and thematic clues that your players can use to get to the items you’ll be hiding.
Finally, look for accessible but not too obvious places to hide the items throughout the workplace—for an in-office party—or the venue.
Gameplay
Divide your attendees into teams of threes or fours to increase the chances of collaborative teamwork.
Use a readymade clue sheet with hints on where the teams will find the hidden items—or make one on Canva.
Explain the rules and set a time limit to add a sense of urgency and excitement to the game.
Remain close by to monitor progress or offer subtle hints when necessary to keep the game headed in the right direction.
Once all teams have completed their scavenging, get everyone together. Ask them to share the items and discuss how well they represent gratitude.
Variation
Take the whole thing online with QR codes. DropEvent lets you set up slideshows that can sub for printed clue sheets and cards. So, why not enhance the experience?
Clues
Photo clue—Find a photo representing a work-related memory.
Art clue—Locate an expressive art piece symbolizing work life.
Note clue—Look for a colleague's hidden gratitude note.
Logo clue—Locate an item associated with your team's logo or identity.
Symbol clue—Find a symbol you’d relate to positive customer feedback.
Growth clue—Discover a token symbolizing growth—personal or professional.
Project clue—Uncover something you’d associate with a successful project.
Spot clue—Identify a spot where the team gathers to express gratitude.
P.S. remember the gratitude wall the employees made? It’d be the perfect destination for pictures and videos from this event!
8. Play Friendsgiving Bingo with a Twist
We’re all familiar with certain situations unique to the office environment. Why not base a custom bingo game around them?
Brainstorm a list of common and funny situations with colleagues, such as:
Hearing a coworker's embarrassing ringtone
Witnessing an epic office prank
Surviving a dreaded team meeting
Successfully navigating a complex project
Receiving a surprise compliment from a boss
Sharing a laugh with coworkers over lunch
Being the last one to leave the office after a long day
Successfully navigating a technical glitch
Celebrating a team achievement with a virtual high-five
Experiencing a moment of unexpected office camaraderie
Grab the Canva bingo card layout and fill the squares with different customized office-related situations instead of numbers. Make sure you don’t repeat any! Get prints to hand out for gameplay.
OR
Use DropEvent’s slideshow feature to put together a presentation that will reveal each situation one by one. Create a QR code you can share with the participants.
Decide on the rules that will establish winning patterns, such as:
Going diagonal
Covering lines
Completing the whole card
Do the same for prizes—optional. You can go with:
Small treats
Company merchandise
Bragging rights
Gift cards
A day off
Mini desserts
Distribute the QR code/printed bingo cages to the attendees right from the start. They can continue ticking off the items on it as the party progresses.
Hold a prize distribution session at the end of the party.
Tips for Prompt Creation
Come up with a mixture of prompts based on levels of difficulty, with some very common ones and others more rare. It’ll keep the players engaged.
Use visuals like icons, symbols, and images to represent the situations on the bingo layout.
Be ready to be flexible to different interpretations and variations—should add more depth to the game.
Personalize the game by incorporating inside jokes and references that only your staff can relate to.
P.S. Take loads of pictures or videos to capture the fun and festivities, no matter which option you choose.
Friendsgiving Food Ideas That Cater to All Palates
The era of boring, cardboard dry turkey breast is over. Want to bring more inclusivity to your party’s spread? Then have your partygoers sample these unique delicacies:
1. Serve a Fusion Feast
Potlucks featuring traditional Thanksgiving dishes have been around for almost as long as the holiday itself has. However, we present to you fusion Friendsgiving recipes with a cultural twist:
Appetizers
Merge the taste of the Middle East with the flavor you’ve grown up with, i.e., Pumpkin Hummus. You’ll need:
Roasted pumpkin purée
Tahini
Lemon juice
Lots of warm pita bread for dipping.
Let the subcontinent in by marrying classic flavors like cranberry and pecan with samosas. You’d require:
Savory filling made with cranberries, pecans, and onions.
Loads of sweet and sour chutneys for dunking.
Wrap up tradition in Thai food flavors with turkey Lettuce Wraps. Grab:
Shredded turkey
Thai herbs
Lime juice
Fish sauce
Lettuce cups
Peanuts and cilantro for garnishing
Oodles of sweet chili sauce for drizzling.
Main Courses
Turkey stew but in full Moroccan style. Make Turkey Tagine by:
Braising turkey pieces with onions, apricots, raisins, and almonds
Adding Moroccan spices like cumin, coriander, and ginger
Heaping couscous or rice.
Bulgogi but Korean that’s both spicy & salty. Start by:
Marinating turkey slices with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and gochugaru
Grilling until caramelized and juicy
Steaming rice and kimchi for slurping.
Let in Mexican spiciness with Turkey Mole that’s:
Made with chocolate & chili peppers
Used to simmer turkey pieces until tender
Assembled with warm tortillas, sliced avocado, & shredded cheese.
Side Dishes
Spice things up with a unique twist on sweet mashed potatoes when you add in:
Butter
Maple syrup
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Elevate the humble Brussels sprouts with parmesan & balsamic vinegar:
First, roast the sprouts until crispy.
Then, toss them in a balsamic glaze.
Grate Parmesan cheese for topping.
Up the crunch and sweetness both when you add pecan and sage to regular cranberry stuffing. You’ll need:
Bread cubes
Cranberries
Pecans
Onions
Celery
Herbs like sage and thyme
Combine & bake until golden brown.
Desserts
Make your pumpkin pie warmer and spicier with ginger and spice when you:
Combine pumpkin purée, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.
Enclose in a flaky pie crust and bake to perfection.
Lean into the warm spiciness of chai when making apple crumble by:
Layering sliced apples in a baking pan
Topping with a mixture of ginger, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon.
Baking until golden brown.
Pumpkin cheesecake you make by:
Combining pumpkin purée, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and spices.
Baking the cake in a graham cracker crust
Topping with a mixture of maple & pecan.
2. Offer Plant-Based Options for All
We said inclusive, and we meant it! Use these creative vegan and vegetarian dishes that are as appealing as they are tasty to make everyone feel welcome:
Offer a variety of small desserts that allow everyone to sample different flavors. Here are some examples:
Make your Friendsgiving creamier with bite-sized cheesecakes full of pumpkin filling, spice, and a buttery graham cracker crust. Elevate the dish by topping them with a dollop of whipped cream.
Infuse your cupcakes with apple cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Smother them in caramel buttercream for the ultimate kick.
Bake bite-sized tarts caged in buttery pastry shells full of rich pecan filling until golden brown. Raise the level of decadence by drizzling caramel sauce for an extra treat.
Combine the tanginess of cranberries with the sweetness of dates into tiny balls. Roll each bite in a heap of chopped nuts and top with orange zest—crunchy and flavorful.
Fry bite-sized donuts made from a batter of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Glaze with a mix of powdered sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree.
6. Assemble Interactive Food Bars
Thinking of build-your-own food stations? Check out these suggestions for interactive ideas:
Build-Your-Own Taco Bar
Give traditional Friendsgiving fare a twist by allowing your guests to create their own tacos. You can ply them with various fillings, toppings, and sauces, including:
Encourage guests to mix hearty and flavorful salads for themselves by providing them with a combo of fresh, seasonal flavors. Some foods you should stock on:
Celebrating Friendsgiving at work is important for boosting team morale and developing a healthy company culture. But you’ll want to use our Friendsgiving celebration ideas to throw an unforgettable and inclusive party!
And when you do, don’t forget to try DropEvent to preserve your event’s highlights.
How to Use DropEvent to Preserve and Share Your Event’s Highlights?
Capture priceless moments from the party and directly upload them to your DropEvent album—in bulk.
Share pictures and videos with just a QR code.
Have your guests share, comment, like, or download their favorite pictures.
Collect all the pictures and play them as a slideshow.
FAQs
1. What does Friendsgiving mean?
Friendsgiving means sharing a meal with people who love and support us to celebrate friendship and gratitude on or near Thanksgiving Day. It is usually celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
2. How is Friendsgiving different from Thanksgiving?
Friendsgiving is different from Thanksgiving since it usually has a flexible menu, a less formal atmosphere, and focuses on being grateful for celebrating with those dear to you—both family & non-family.
3. Is Friendsgiving a Potluck?
Friendsgiving can be a potluck since it is a more casual and informal celebration. In that case, guests bring a dish to share, taking the pressure off the host, and allowing everyone to contribute.
4. How do you do Friendsgiving?
You can host a memorable Friendsgiving by:
Choosing a time, date, and venue that suits everyone.
Planning an inclusive menu.
Inviting those dearest to you—blood relatives or not.
Decorating and serving delicious food.
5. How popular is Friendsgiving?
Friendsgiving's popularity is slowly increasing among millennials and younger generations. About 17% of Americans plan to celebrate it this year.
6. Do you give gifts for Friendsgiving?
Even with no established tradition, you can give gifts for Friendsgiving if you wish to! It’s best to limit your choices to small gifts, personalized items, tokens of appreciation, or thoughtful gestures.
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