Friendsgiving is a special time of year—especially because it can technically happen at any time of year. Thanksgiving may be past, but who says you can't host a Friendsgiving next week or even next month? Lithium contributor Patrick Thompson is here with a guide to throwing your own Friendsgiving—whether that's next month, next November, or anytime in between.

Step 1: Write a list of people you want to invite to Friendsgiving and make a group chat to reach out to them. Ask them to bring a specific type of dish, or tell them to bring anything they want—it's up to you! A cool side of the Friendsgiving I went to was that people brought many different types of unorthodox food. It was all random, and I loved it: there was a story behind each plate. Oh, and another important part of Step 1 is finding a place to host everyone. Luckily, my friend’s grandma was nice enough to host us and provide plenty of space. I just recommend making sure that wherever you have it, there is enough space for everyone that may be coming. As we all know, random people sometimes show up with some of your guests. It can get crowded.

Step 2: Food prep! Make sure you have enough table space for each of the dishes people bring. On the day of your Friendsgiving, something fun you can do before people arrive is help a friend with the food they’re making. At my Friendsgiving, I decided to show up early with a busted plate of gross-looking brownies that I’d ruined. I helped my friend, Maisie, set up the food she’d made on the table. We just listened to music and danced while making pie and other plates she had prepped. While she was cooking, I randomly remembered that scene in Camp Rock in which Mitchie had a bunch of flour on her face. So, like the amazing friend I am, I decided to smudge a fistful of flour on Maisie’s face and take a photo of her!  

Step 3: Eat some grub and have fun! Friendsgiving is honestly the best because everyone you love is all around you in one place at one time, which is rare. Take advantage of that! Talk about anything and everything. At my Friendsgiving, we did a lot of talking, but we also played games like guessing the name of a song and its artist by just hearing something play on a speaker. We drank apple cider and watched YouTube videos. We did whatever we felt like, and that’s what made it special. Each Friendsgiving is different, and I think that’s the way it should be.