Thanksgiving, one of my personal favorite holidays since it is practically a competition as to who can eat the most servings of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. At least that’s how it is for my family. For those who are a bit more sentimental towards the real meaning of this holiday, Thanksgiving is a time to reunite with your extended family while reflecting back upon the past year and thinking about all the blessings that you have in your life.
In theory, reuniting with family can be a beautiful experience in which everyone bonds together and plans the next extended family vacation to an exotic destination. Unfortunately, this is not always the case for everyone. Here’s how you can not only survive but thrive at Thanksgiving dinner.
#1: Be prepared to discuss your political views.
I can almost guarantee that you will not have to be the one to bring this up, since someone else in almost every family is bound to. With the huge changes that the midterm elections just brought about, everyone is going to want to talk about– even your Uncle Dave who never wants to talk about anything interesting.
Don’t be afraid to talk about who you voted for or your political views in general but remember that not everyone is going to agree with you. Be patient with others and understand that not everyone made the same decisions as you did when filling out their ballot.
#2: Wear comfortable clothes.
Everyone always thinks that Thanksgiving dinner is the time to show off your brand new outfit that you have been saving all year just for this one specific day. While this can be true in many occasions, feel free to wear leggings or your comfortable jeans.
Think about all the turkey and stuffing which is going to fill you up by the end of the night if you don’t go with something more comfortable. Don’t let those jeans unbutton themselves.
#3: Come ready to sell yourself to your family members.
You know that you’re going to hear the same questions over and over again about your school, career, relationships, friendships — the list could go on and on. Come up with a little introduction about your current life to sell to your family members.
Ladies, if you don’t have your life together like most of us, tell them about what clubs you’re in this semester to try and figure out what career path you really want to take. No, you might not be in a relationship at the moment, but you’re making new friends in all of your classes.
#4: Workout or take a nap in the morning.
Depending on what type of person you are, workouts or naps could make you more or less energized. For me, napping makes me beyond exhausted and working out makes me ready to move on with my day.
If napping makes you ready to tackle on a series of never-ending questions from your aunts and uncles, then nap before everyone arrives. If working out provides you with enough energy to not want to strangle your little cousins, then workout in the morning and take a nice, long shower to prepare yourself for the craziness that you are about to encounter.
Either way, just prepare yourself with positive energy for the long day ahead.
#5: Talk about the food.
Although the food might not be the best this year, never be afraid to compliment your grandma too many times. She has probably spent weeks working to prepare a dinner for your whole family to enjoy, and she would appreciate all the compliments that she could get.
Talking about the food might also be an easy way to avoid any topics which you might not want to spend too much time discussing with your extended family.
#6: Actually try to be thankful.
As mentioned before, Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time where we reflect upon our past year and all of the blessings that we have in our lives. No matter how annoying your siblings are or how awkward the conversations have been, you can always find something to be thankful for.
Think about the food on your plate or everyone sitting at the table around you who deeply care about you and will always be there for you. After all, we all have so much to be thankful for this year.
With these 6 tips, you all should be ready to totally ace this Thanksgiving! Start thinking about what you’re thankful for and don’t take for granted the life you have!