Friendsgiving

Friendsgiving

Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

We’ve started a new tradition around Thanksgiving that I swiped from one of my goddaughters—Friendsgiving. It’s a more casual version of the big day, but with many of the same foods. I’ve come to consider it a dry run of sorts, a place to try a couple of new recipes while also cherishing the dishes that have become traditions in our respective extended families.

Aaron and I got the idea one Thanksgiving evening when we found ourselves swinging by a large indoor Somali soccer tournament to cheer on the young men on his pickup soccer team. As we visited with them before their next match, we discovered that most had never been invited to a Thanksgiving gathering and had never celebrated it, despite having lived in the United States for a significant portion of their lives. As we laughingly told them about the famous Katie’s Salad (named after our niece and consisting only of whipped cream, apple chunks, and Snickers) as a favorite family food tradition, Aaron extended an invitation to join us next year for a Friendsgiving the weekend ahead of Thanksgiving, with a promise to include all the Fisk/Brotzler traditions and fixings.

Friendsgiving is a way for us to welcome those around us who don’t have a place to go or whose own cultural traditions don’t include turkey, gravy, and football. I’ve become increasingly attuned to inviting others to participate in holiday celebrations because those are some of the hardest, loneliest times of the year for any number of reasons.

Relationships are built over shared meals, and friendship is often birthed out of hospitality to near strangers. I don’t know if I’ve ever entertained angels, but my life is filled with depth and richness from the friends I’ve made through simple acts of hospitality. God has sent people through my door who have touched my heart and the hearts of my family far more than the simple meal cost me in terms of time, money, and action.

— Julie

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Host a Friendsgiving this year, inviting the friends of friends of friends to join you.