Thanksgiving can dish up all sorts of family drama. From where to host, what to serve, and who is invited… While it’s meant to be a time of gratitude and connection, we’ve seen far too many stories about fights breaking out around the table, or in the run-up to the big holiday.
One mom has shared how her husband expected the turkey to deliver and cook itself. Well, not really. But he did assume that his wife had made all the plans by herself. When she informed him that she hadn’t bought anything, hadn’t planned anything, and didn’t intend to, the husband completely lost it.
Thanksgiving is a time for loved ones to gather and express gratitude
Image credits: Kateryna Hliznitsova / unspalsh (not the actual photo)
But one mom has gone cold turkey on the holiday, after her family assumed she’d plan everything alone
Image credits: DC_Studio / envato (not the actual photo)
She followed up by schooling some netizens who had felt the need to judge her
Image credits: doaleapa
“I work as well”: people had questions and the mom was happy to answer
Some of the biggest mistakes you can make when hosting Thanksgiving, according to experts
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska / unpslash (not the actual photo)
Planning, preparing and cooking for a big holiday like Thanksgiving can come with its fair share of stress. Especially if you’re hosting a big crowd. “Cooking Thanksgiving dinner is a marathon, not a sprint,” say the experts over at food blog Delish. And that’s why they advise getting as much done ahead of the big day.
Trying to do all your side dishes on the day of the gathering is likely to come back to bite you. So prepare things like cranberry sauce, stuffing and sweet potato casserole a day, or even a few days, before. This will free up time for you to spend on Thanksgiving cleaning your house, decorating, and handling any last-minute details that you might not have expected.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make on the day, according to Delish’s experts, is to not have snacks out for your guests when they arrive. You could opt for fancy, festive appetizers but if you don’t have time, why not consider a simple cheese board?
“Throw a couple blocks of cheese on a cutting board. Pour some roasted nuts into a serving dish. Open up a bag of chips,” they suggest. “It doesn’t have to be that deep—just have some sort of snack on deck.”
You’ll be spending a lot of time running the kitchen (and eating), do you really want to add bartender duties to your day as well? Delish advises having a couple of bottles of wine available (if you’ll be doing alcoholic drinks), as well as a pre-made, batched cocktail that guest can help themselves to.
You’ll want to make your table festive but don’t go overboard with decorations. “There are many important components that need to be there—like plates, wine glasses, water glasses, silverware, and serving dishes. You shouldn’t be wasting valuable real estate to make your table look like a department store display,” notes the food site.
The experts add that tall taper candles and floral arrangements block the view across the table and make it harder for guests to celebrate together. “Instead, opt for a nice tablecloth, some tea lights, and a couple flowers in small vases. Leave the decorative pine cones and gourds alone,” they say.
Etiquette site, Manners To Go notes that you shouldn’t feel bad asking your guests to chip in when it comes to Thanksgiving.
“It’s perfectly fine to ask guests to bring a dish or contribute to the meal, especially for casual gatherings,” reads the site. It adds that you should always use polite language to convey the message. For example, “It would be wonderful if you could bring a dish, but of course, if that’s not possible, your presence is more than enough.”
However you choose to celebrate or host Thanksgiving, remember it’s about gratitude and spending time with family and friends. Good luck!
Netizens rallied behind the woman and called out the dad for his childish behavior
Quite a few people agreed that the entire family should pull their weight
“Not fair to the kids”: some felt the mother could do better
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