We have been celebrating Cake Day for quite some time in the Hurley Homestead and we can begin to see the fruit of consistently meeting together with our community.
First, if you are unaware of Cake Day, it is a gathering that happens on the first of each month where friends come together to eat cake. Consistency builds the connected friendships we are hoping to form. There’s a fun little song involved, and you can find out all the details here.
Now, for those of you who have thought about having a Cake Day with your family and friends but aren’t so sure, I want to tell you about all the good things that come with Cake Day.
BRINGING ALL THE PEOPLE TOGETHER
Tim and I have many friends from a variety of different circles and it is not reasonable for us to see and connect with each person we care about on a consistent basis. But then BOOM! Cake Day! We now have an opportunity each month to invite as many people over as possible. All we need is cake and forks! Instantly, we can connect people who may not otherwise have crossed paths and it gives us a chance to see our favorite faces without having to plan twenty dinner dates.
A PLACE TO BELONG
It’s fun to see our friends looking forward to Cake Day because they know it is an opportunity for them to be amongst friends (or potential friends). I don’t know about you but, I would love to know that there is a place for me each month that I am invited to come and chow down on some red velvet cake while having fun with others. You may not know this but your neighbors, co-workers, bible study group or your spouse may be craving this time to connect and feel like they belong.
KIDS ARE WELCOME
If your friend group is made up of a lot of families, Cake Day is just silly enough that kids will LOVE it. It also isn’t a formal gathering and there is no real prescribed time for how long Cake Day has to last. So, it’s great for families who are just popping in for a bite of cake and don’t want to worry about wrangling their kids during “adult” time.
CONSISTENCY BUILDS TRUST
When we spend more time together, we start to really get to know each other. And being known is a wonderful and potentially intimidating thing. The more we get to know others the more we build trust, share what’s “really going on” and form inside jokes. It also gives us an opportunity to ask the hard questions, pray for one another and provide the encouragement you need after a tough week. Cake is just the incentive to get you in the door for real friendship!
DID I MENTION CAKE?
Let’s be real! I want to eat cake. So, major plus that I get 12 days out of the year to chow down on cake with my favorite people.
If you have hosted a Cake Day I would love to hear your stories below!
Hey Bailey! I love this!! I used to live in a ministry center/discipleship house and we would have a community dinner once a week. Basically, someone in the house would cook and we invited anyone and everyone! I have the fondest memories of these dinner! Christians and non-Christians, seekers attended. It was so cool because seekers asked the best questions and it really challenged everyone to think deeply about their faith!
Since moving into my own home, I’ve wanted to do something similar. I read in Bon Appetite, someone made a big pot of soup and bread every Wednesday. People knew it was a weekly thing, so they just showed up! I really want to start doing this in my home…but my life is so hectic right now!! This article is putting the idea back on my radar!!
Oh my yes! I love that too!
Hi Bailey!
I like the idea of a Cake Day. This is a great way of building relationships. You always have such great pictures coming along with your blog posts. You bring a vital point to the table here when you say consistency builds trust.
God bless!
Edna Davidsen
Edna, you always have the best encouragements
If only we lived closer! Thanks for sharing about this beautiful way to build community. God bless your efforts, Bailey. Blessings to you.
Awwww yes!
What a sweet idea 😉 I wonder if I could get it going here in granola country. Maybe gluten free, paleo-friendly, organic? Or maybe folks are willing to splurge on a little sugar once a month.
What day did you pick? Is it like the 1st Saturday of the month or something?
Haha! Hmm…maybe you will have to bond over like monthly yoga time.
What a neat idea! 🙂
thanks, Melissa!
I love this idea!! Our church has been in a series about building a longer table and this is exactly the point. I’m going to have to give this a try…
You will definitely have to share this with your small group.
I’ve never heard of this tradition, but it sounds fantastic! What a wonderful way to connect and form community!
It’s the best!