Each year, Ted and I host a “Leftovers Party” on Friday evening, the day after Thanksgiving. We held it the first year we moved to Richmond, because we didn’t want to cook a turkey just for ourselves, and figured someone would surely bring it. No one did.
However, what they did bring was exactly what the party is called: Leftovers. Friends and neighbors brought whatever half-eaten casserole, straggling pie slices or day-old stuffing remained in their fridge.
What they also brought to our house was a sense of community. Both Ted and I were starting over here in Richmond, in our first home together. We had no family here and only a few friends. We had no shared traditions yet for the holidays.
This will be our fourth Leftovers gathering, and we now have a place that feels even more like home each year. We begin the holiday season, decorating in time for the party. I love this event because it’s casual, we donate items to the Foodbank, and no one has to cook a thing. By sharing in our own plenty, we have plenty of reasons to be thankful for one more day.
