Halloween is over and round two of the holidays is almost upon us! Thanksgiving is a time to remember all the blessings in your life. It is a day to put aside all the angst and materialism and remember why our lives are beautiful. Usually, Thanksgiving is spent with family, like Mom, Dad, annoying siblings, and a couple relatives you only speak to once or twice a year. One holiday which everyone should celebrate at least once, though, is Friendsgiving. Whether you live far from family and just cannot make it home this year, or you want to save the family bonding time for later holidays, Friendsgiving is the perfect alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving. In fact, in many ways, Friendsgiving is Thanksgiving 2.0. Without further ado, here are 10 reasons to celebrate Friendsgiving this year!

1. Thanksgiving is about being with family; Friendsgiving is about being with the people that you’ve made family.

Yes, you love your family, but you are going to be spending time with them 24/7 once Christmas rolls around. Now is your chance to show some love to your second family.

2. You get to explore beyond the usual Thanksgiving dinner options.

If you are not into the classics—turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce—that is great, because you and your friends are the ones deciding the menu. Get creative. The sky is your limit!

Although it is probably best to steer clear of Rachel's trifle.

3. You get to try (and fail) to make delicious dishes.

“Oh, so you’re telling me that it was supposed to bake for 20 minutes… not two hours?”

4. You get to try (and succeed!) to make delicious dishes.

Nothing tastes better than food that was (successfully) prepared yourself. Whether it is your first time baking a Thanksgiving turkey on your own, or you are still getting your toes wet in the shallow end with simpler foods like bread rolls or cranberry sauce, when your masterpiece is completed, you'll be wanting everyone to take a bite!

5. Everyone is an adult.

With no parents around, Friendsgiving is a fun opportunity to play grown-up and prove that you can run life without someone giving you step-by-step directions. This year, you give the directions. If some things go haywire in the process, oh well! No one is perfect. The important thing is, you were the one making the decisions.

6. Everyone is a child.

Arts and crafts, anyone? We all yearn for the days of colorful hand turkeys and paper Pilgrim hats. So what if you all are technically adults? For Friendsgiving, you are encouraged to let your inner child roam free.

"No, Mon, you want to put them in concentric circles. I want to do this."

7. No awkward family drama.

Your parents are not giving you the third degree about relationships and why you aren’t in one. There is not the usual sibling rivalry that ends with at least one person either yelling or crying. Not to mention, you won’t have to make halted conversation with relatives. There really is not a downside to having a low-key Friendsgiving with the squad.

vs.

8. Everyone takes part.

To pull off Friendsgiving, it has to be a team effort. Usually on Thanksgiving, the majority of people are goofing off and snacking on veggies and dip, while one saint is slaving away in the kitchen for hours. To prepare for Friendsgiving, everyone is in the kitchen, doing their part and having a ball. Well, almost everyone.

9. Filter-free dinner conversation.

There is always that slip of the tongue on Thanksgiving that either starts a fight or leaves the table in awkward silence. For Friendsgiving, leave the censorship behind and dive straight into the real talk.

10. And remember: friends who Thanksgiving together, stay together.