Christmas and family – to many people, those two go hand in hand. But that doesn’t have to be the case anymore: More and more often, people are spending at least part of the holidays differently. With friends instead of relatives. In a city far from home—but one that has long since become home itself. With people they’ve chosen to be with over the course of their lives. “Friendsmas” has become the name for this. More than that: it’s a tradition.
What's Friendmas?
The term is a combination of “Friends” and “Christmas” – it originated in the U.S. and can now be found all over the world. The idea behind it is simple: You celebrate Christmas with your closest friends. Often before or after the family dinner, and sometimes instead of it.
No set agenda, no expectations except one: It should be enjoyable.
It doesn't matter who's there – and yet it means everything
What makes Friendsmas special is that it has no set rules. It doesn’t always have to be the same people. Who’s there changes with different stages of life, with moves, and with new friendships. What remains is the core: that every person is welcome just as they are—with their history, their cuisine, their quirks, and their stories.
This resonates with an idea that many people recognize today: family isn’t just about the people you grew up with—it’s also about the people you choose to be with throughout your life. People with whom you eat, laugh, cry, and create traditions.
Why Potluck and Friendsmas go so well together
A Friendsmas evening thrives on precisely this openness. Everyone brings something—a dish from their own kitchen, from their parents’ kitchen, or from a region that has shaped them. The table becomes a reflection of the people sitting around it. That’s what makes it unique.
Rolled pastries and stews from Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Smoked and pickled dishes from Slavic cuisines. Fish and root vegetables from the Alpine region and Germanic cuisines. Sweets that smell of poppy seeds, walnuts, and cinnamon. No dish is too obscure, no recipe too foreign – because here, no one has to prove they belong.
Time for new traditions
Traditions don’t just happen on their own. They develop because people decide to repeat something—the same evening, the same feeling, even if the group changes over the years.
Maybe people will already be looking forward to a particular dish from this year next year. Maybe a recipe will be passed down … Maybe ten years from now, people will still be talking about what the table looked like back then—full, colorful, beautiful, lively, and simply perfect for the moment.
That’s how traditions are born. Not planned, but lived.
An ever changing holiday
Christmas has always had many different sides to it. Some celebrate quietly, some celebrate loudly. Some with family, some with friends, and some with both. What remains is the feeling of being together, eating together, and taking time for one another.
Friendsmas is exactly that – a new name for something that’s always been there.
Spice up the web! Share this article on...
Read more
Currently Viewing: 1 of
