Friendsgiving Military Family Tradition

 As a military family, we often face the difficult decision of choosing which holidays to spend with our extended families back home. Travel costs, unpredictable leave dates, and the logistics of getting time off during the busy holiday season make it challenging to visit for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. For us, like many military families, Christmas is our favorite, so we usually reserve our trip home for that time of year.

Just because we don’t make it home for Thanksgiving doesn’t mean we skip the celebration. Instead, we gather with our close friends here on base and celebrate what we’ve come to call Friendsgiving. It’s a potluck-style gathering where each family brings a dish they love, allowing us to share a piece of home with one another, even when we can’t be with our families. The variety of foods always makes the meal feel extra special, blending different traditions into one shared feast.

One of the things we love most about Friendsgiving is that it brings our friends—who have become like family—together. We all love good food, and sitting down to enjoy everyone’s favorite dishes which is a treat. However, it’s more than just the delicious food! We value the time we get to spend with people who understand the unique challenges of military life. After the meal, we usually sit around the fire pit, sipping our favorite drinks (Espresso Martinis are always a hit), laughing, and catching up on life. The warmth of these gatherings is more than just physical; it’s emotional too.

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