Whether you’re celebrating a holiday or just enjoying time off from classes, winter is the inevitable season of family gatherings. Unfortunately, this leaves a prime opportunity for awkward family moments, especially when two sides of a family get together. Every family has those two people who hate each other and everyone in the family knows it, yet these two people never miss a family event. There’s that person who just had something happen¾good or bad¾and is sick of talking about it. Or a new boyfriend/girlfriend has come to the gathering. (Good luck if that’s you this year!) Well, here are some tips to avoid uncomfortable slips of the tongue or unnecessary silences between loved ones this year.
Awkward Turtle
Place one hand on top of the other, palm down, and circle your thumbs. Then, look around at the people who are looking around at each other and say with a smile, “Awkward.” This is the universal substitute when chatter has come to an unfortunate end. However, immediate reception is not guaranteed, especially if you are dealing with an older audience. But, no matter, you stuck your neck out and probably started a round of laughter and maybe even a conversation. WARNING: this technique is for emergencies only and not to be overused.
Distraction via spontaneous dance party
Don’t be afraid to sacrifice a little dignity to get a chuckle from the crowd. If there’s music playing, try to get a dance floor going. If there’s not, let the fun begin. You can go the dance party route and share your best club moves. (Be mindful of grandparents and avoid twerking. My personal favorite is “the lawnmower.”) Or you can take the slow dance route and drag your favorite sister/brother/cousin/friend into a random slow dance. Hey, flash mobs work in malls and parks, why not your living room?
Reminisce
Tell a story, an old family favorite or one from last year. Something funny or something heartfelt when everyone was there. One of those “Remember when…” situations is the easiest way to get a smile on everyone’s face and a conversation started. You can prepare a small arsenal of these stories beforehand; I find notecards helpful.
Change of scenery
If the two enemies of the party appear ready to duke it out, choose one and coax them into the next room. Take advantage of their occupation and ask them their “professional opinion” on something. Or whip out your phone and introduce, or reacquaint them with “What does the fox say?” When all else fails, there’s always, “Hey, what’s that over there?”
Sacrifice the young ones
Find the youngest person in the room and ask them what they want Santa to bring or what Santa already brought them. If they’re one of those attention-seeking youngsters, the whole room will be graced with a detailed description of presents. And if they are on the shy side, you can all marvel at their cuteness. Either way, win! If the group of people you’re with range in age no lower than 45 and you are the youngest, bring up Santa anyway. Santa is a great conversation starter. Who knows, the conversation may evolve into a comedic exploration of intricate rationalizations kids come up with so they can believe in Santa until the very moment someone comes right out and says, “There’s no Santa.”