Here's The Rule Of Thumb For Whether You Should Bring A Date To Friendsgiving
If you've decided not to deal with potentially crowded airports, bumper-to-bumper traffic, or well-intentioned questioning from your family about all your life choices this Thanksgiving, that's just fine. If you're staying put and looking for someplace to eat, drink, and be merry on Turkey Day, you might just end up with your besties enjoying a Friendsgiving. If you're single and wondering if you should bring a date to Friendsgiving, since it's essentially a festive party with your crew, here are a few things to consider.
The first thing you should do is ask your friend who is hosting this whole shebang if it's okay to bring a date. After all, it's their home, their party, and their decision. If they say no, then it's best to be respectful of their decision and don't push the issue. (Hopefully they'll share their reasoning with you and there won't be any hard feelings.) If they say yes, then you can weigh the pros and cons of inviting your date to join you and your besties for Friendsgiving. The pros are that you get to spend time with this person, they get to meet your friends, and you get to be together on a holiday. The cons are that you might have to give your date more attention, give your friends less attention, and discover that everyone might not get along. While you can't predict the future, there are a few ways to decide if this is a good idea.
Of course, whether or not you should bring a date has a lot to do with the specific person and how well you know them. Is this someone you've been out with a few times, started to connect with, and are interested in seeing again? Then great! Is this someone you just swiped right on, haven't met before, or don't even know their last name? Then maybe Friendsgiving dinner isn't the best time to meet up with this person. Even if your Friendsgiving gathering is casual, it's still an intentional time to celebrate the holiday with your friends. And they're also putting time, money, and effort into it and that deserves some appreciation.
The next thing to consider is the event itself! If it's a small gathering with just a few of your nearest and dearest, it might not be appropriate to bring someone new into the mix. But if it's a bigger group with a more casual vibe, then introducing a new person to your friends would feel more natural. It might also be helpful to find out if anyone else is bringing dates, so yours wouldn't be the only plus one at the table.
If you've decided this person would fit well into the size and vibe of your Friendsgiving, and they're also down to join, then that's great. Just be sure that once you actually get to the party that you help your date feel welcome. Introduce them to everyone, include them in conversations, and explain your inside jokes as best you can. Remember, you brought this person here, now include them!
There's also a chance that while you've decided your date would be welcome and comfortable at your Friendsgiving, they might have a different opinion. If they don't want to join or opt for other plans, try to be understanding because the holidays can mean different things for everyone. If joining your Friendsgiving this year doesn't work out, that doesn't mean your date isn't interested in meeting your friends or spending more time with you. Having a clear and honest conversation with your date about all of this will set a tone and standard between the two of you and hopefully give you a relationship to be thankful for.
