Weeping Sore Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 So even though my spouse and I live in the same metro area as a lot of relatives who we'd usually have Thanksgiving dinner with, we've decided to take a day trip to Toronto to see the David Bowie exhibit at the AGO and eat some good Vietnamese food instead. So...there's some fallout from that. My spouse is vegan; my daughter and I are vegetarian, so we'd pretty much be bringing all of our own food to Thanksgiving dinner anyway, which has devolved into forced gluttony and sitting watching football without much discussion of things to be thankful for. Frankly while there are a few relatives we'd like to see, there are a few we'd just as soon avoid. Should we feel bad? Do we need a better excuse than "We don't feel like doing Thanksgiving this year"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inigima Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Thanksgiving sucks. Take me with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanteGabriel Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Fuck it, do what you want with your Thanksgiving. But I don't know about the plan to travel that weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeping Sore Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 Fuck it, do what you want with your Thanksgiving. But I don't know about the plan to travel that weekend. Toronto's a 1h 45min round trip - I'm not sure if the border crossing's particularly busy on Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving was 10/13) but the idea was to go up there because everything in the U.S. is closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deleted01 Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I feel that way about Christmas sometimes. I enjoy the build-up, but the day always falls flat. Sometimes I just want to squirrel myself away and hide from the traditional festivities. As above, you should do what you want to do. I think that once you get to a certain age and/or stage in life, you'll want to start doing your own thing for various holidays, and that's perfectly alright in my book. I hope that by next Christmas, my partner and I have our own flat, and we won't have to see anyone else all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IheartIheartTesla Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Everything? Stores now have brown Thursday, I know a bunch of people working (retail) on Thanksgiving so we can put the economy back on track. Ethnic restaurants are always open on Thanksgiving too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeping Sore Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 Ethnic restaurants are always open on Thanksgiving too. Not always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NestorMakhnosLovechild Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Everything? Stores now have brown Thursday, I know a bunch of people working (retail) on Thanksgiving so we can put the economy back on track. Ethnic restaurants are always open on Thanksgiving too. I'm not sure I'd consider the appeal of being trampled to death at a local Wal-Mart to be much of an inducement to stay in the US for Thanksgiving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlainJeyne Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 We are skipping thanksgiving this year too. I am a vegetarian and my husband has a health condition that is helped by dietary restrictions, so we are no fun at food related get togethers. It's caused drama in the past when we go and don't eat any of the good that the hosts prepared, and we just had a baby so it's not an ideal time for us to host. The whole family drama element has left a sour taste in my mouth about Thanksgiving and it's my least favorite holiday for this reason. I'd be happy to just skip it forever. We can express gratitude without this day to prompt us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zelticgar Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I love Thanksgiving. All the benefits of Christmas but no travel. Not sure i would feel the same if was a vegan and needed to travel for the day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeping Sore Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 We are skipping thanksgiving this year too. I am a vegetarian and my husband has a health condition that is helped by dietary restrictions, so we are no fun at food related get togethers. It's caused drama in the past when we go and don't eat any of the good that the hosts prepared, and we just had a baby so it's not an ideal time for us to host.The whole family drama element has left a sour taste in my mouth about Thanksgiving and it's my least favorite holiday for this reason. I'd be happy to just skip it forever. We can express gratitude without this day to prompt us. I'm not sure why eating or not eating a given dish is so loaded with portent, but it is. Maybe it has something to do with the weird competative vibe among the wives and the various dishes they have prepared, so skipping them has to be overly explained. Not least of this pressure is applied to our five-year-old daughter, who is encouraged to stuff herself with everything in sight, but she's not accustomed to overly rich or sweet food. Again, if there were something going on apart from the food, maybe it would be worth it, but basically the only other thing going on is watching NFL games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1918me Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Honestly, Thanksgiving just hasn't been the same since 50% of my immediate family became vegetarian. I respect their decision, obviously, but it's hard to justify getting a turkey anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli Fury Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 In my family we never did thanksgiving until my sister had kids. We're native, fuck the white man's holiday. Also, you're an adult, your family can't make you do shit. Also, Bowie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inigima Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I don't like football and I don't like any of the traditional Thanksgiving foods -- that is, I'll eat them, but I'm not excited about it. And I'm not close with my family outside of my immediate family (with whom I'm *very* close). So there isn't much appeal to the holiday for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluetiger Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Good that I don't live in USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IheartIheartTesla Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I'm not sure I'd consider the appeal of being trampled to death at a local Wal-Mart to be much of an inducement to stay in the US for Thanksgiving. Freedom and 100 " plasma TVs arent free, certain sacrifices have to be made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I wish I could skip Thanksgiving. Too much Jewish guilt stops me. But I'm leaving parents to come home (damn right my apartment is 'home') on Saturday, and that night I have a 'Friendsgiving meal' that I'm looking forward to a lot more than Thursday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sperry Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I would love Thanksgiving, except my mother feels it is her duty to invite everyone she knows who doesn't have anywhere else to go for Thanksgiving. While this is a kind gesture at heart, a lot of those people aren't invited elsewhere for a reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuellar Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I almost always traveled out of the country for Thanksgiving. I highly recommend it as long as you don't fly on Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat. We did Thailand, Japan, Africa, Costa Rica, Australia, NZ, Fiji... way better than wasting 2 extra PTO days eating turkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlainJeyne Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I'm not sure why eating or not eating a given dish is so loaded with portent, but it is. Maybe it has something to do with the weird competative vibe among the wives and the various dishes they have prepared, so skipping them has to be overly explained. Not least of this pressure is applied to our five-year-old daughter, who is encouraged to stuff herself with everything in sight, but she's not accustomed to overly rich or sweet food. Again, if there were something going on apart from the food, maybe it would be worth it, but basically the only other thing going on is watching NFL games.Yeessssss! The people who cook are so pushy about people eating the thing they cooked. They don't seem to understand or care that some people have different diets and/or maybe just don't feel like eating EVERYTHING. I also get kind of irrationally upset when I am told "well there is salad..." Because everyone assumes that vegetarians only eat salad. This applies a lot to when people are trying to pick a restaurant as well. I genuinely DGAF what other people eat so it's kind of annoying when people think I'm a rude asshole for my dietary choices. So it's gotten to the point where I would rather just not participate in food based holiday get togethers. I don't even like football so Thanksgiving has nothing for me. Womp womp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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