Family, Food, and Football. These are the 3 F’s that make up Thanksgiving. The holiday where loved ones gather around and give thanks for all the blessings they’ve been given throughout the year. It really couldn’t get better. Well, maybe it could if there was a way to avoid the three-million intrusive questions coming from relatives that you barely know the answer to, having to ignore the obvious tension between feuding family members, and making small talk with those relatives that you only see once a year, and therefore, don’t know at all.

However, there’s a fourth “F” that allows you to escape from all these disturbances: Friends. Last year was my first time doing Friendsgiving and I absolutely loved it. Even if you aren’t crazy about Thanksgiving I recommend the alternative to everyone. There are no set rules to Friendsgiving. You can make it however you want, but here are some suggestions:

1. Start planning now. You never have enough time to organize fifteen of your friends into one space and one time.
2. Choose your group wisely: who’s the least likely to flake? Who’s the best cook? Who’s the worst? You’ll want to ask that last person to bring silverware.
3. Distribute dishes across all the food groups. Everyone likes to make cupcakes, but you probably want something more substantial for dinner.
4. Make a rockin’ playlist. You need some music for the silent moments that will inevitably come as a result of stuffing your face.
5. Decorate. See the holidays, feel the holidays.