Thanksgiving Day is mostly reserved for big family gatherings (at least in my family).  Someone will spend all day stuffing a duck into a goose into a turkey and trying not to burn the house down, or themselves to death, while deep frying birds.  Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my family!  But there's something even better about getting your close group of friends together to hang.  If you have or haven't done a friends-giving, these five tips will help you have the best time!

1.  Non-Traditional Dinner!

Don't spend 30 hours preparing Thanksgiving-style dinner for your friends.  Do the easy and delicious things like a cheeseball, tacos, pizza, charcuterie board, etc.  You can grab something from Kroger or Meijer...order from your favorite pizza shop or taco place (Tia Heleta's Saginaw Street for me - yum).  The goal of friends-giving is to have a great time, relax and enjoy good company... Not exhaust yourself with prep.

2.  Create A Friends-Giving Tradition for Your Group

Flag Football? Bowling? Road Trip Weekend Up North?  Food Themes?  Make it your own but stick to it!  Definitely get a group pic to save the memories.

Banana 101.5 logo
Get our free mobile app

3.  Euchre Tournament!

Euchre is very Michigan (as I've noticed while living in other parts of the country).  If all of your friends aren't pros, teach them.  Good fun is to be had... and maybe a few coarse words, too.

Flying playing cards
Alexander_Fagaulin
loading...

4. Games!

Make it a point to play games.  Ask everyone to bring one game to play.  The goal:  play each game during Friends-Giving! This makes everyone try something new...maybe even find a new favorite!  (Suggestion: Try Jackbox Games -- you can play them on almost any device or platform -- incredibly entertaining! -- Nobody paid me to say that.  They're legit my favorite.)

Skee ball
rkupbens
loading...

5. Go Out to Play Games!

If you're NOT having Friends-Giving on Thanksgiving Day, you can find lots to do.  Ski Ball, Bowling, Arcade... you get the idea.  Genesee County will have plenty to do.  Games are great because you'll be friendly, competitive and have conversations you'll remember forever.

Bonus Tip: Binge "How I Met Your Mother" Thanksgiving/Slapsgiving episodes!

See more around the Mitten state

Check Out This Michigan Home With 15 - Yes 15 - Bathrooms

How many bathrooms is 'enough?' How many is too many?

This massive home in Rochester, Michigan has nine full bathrooms and six half baths - and a whole lot more.

Check out the pics.

See Genesee County, Michigan's Most Famous Historic Places

These Genesee County buildings are part of the National Historic Places Registry

$18M Historic Randall's Point Walloon Lake Homestead

Currently offered for $18 million, making it one of the most expensive properties in the state, the compound comes with four cabins. Three of the cabins were built in the 1920s and the main log home was built in the 1970s. The original boathouse and barn remain. The homestead was founded by Bo Randall who was the founder of Randall Made Knives and a good friend of Ernest Hemingway who frequented the property for hunting. With over 5700 square feet of living space amongst the cabins, the compound is perfect for large families. A mix of modern and timeless history, this is truly a slice of Michigan history.

More From Banana 101.5