I have a confession to make: I'm not really a fan of Thanksgiving. I know, I know, cue the gasps of horror…but let me explain why! It's not that I don't like the holiday necessarily, it's just that I find it a little stressful. To me, Thanksgiving is kind of like New Years–a lot of hoopla, a ton of preparation, but it's never quite as fun as you (or I) want it to be.
It's not that I have issues with being thankful (although I think that should be the rule every day!) or with the history of the Pilgrims and whatnot. Actually, my feelings have almost nothing to do with the holiday itself, but with the celebration. Normally, I LOVE my family get-togethers. I've already written plenty on how awesome and epic most of our festivities are but for some reason, our Thanksgivings are just different.
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Maybe because I feel like everyone is so anxious all day! The women in my super old-fashioned, typical Hispanic family–including my mother–will spend Thanksgiving day running around the kitchen like lunatics trying to get everything ready before the party…. only to continue to do the same thing upon arriving just to make sure everything stays warm/cold/stuffed, etc. They're so worried about the food that I feel like we barely ever get to actually converse! Meanwhile, the guys sit around and wait for the plates to be served (again, old-fashioned).
Or maybe it's because I–and again, I know I am in the minority here–don't really like Thanksgiving food, like turkey and stuffing all that much (seriously, give me BBQ food over that any day), but I feel terrible not eating it after witnessing how much work has gone into the whole meal.
Most likely, it's because it's a much more subdued event than our normal parties. While most of our reunions consist of a lot of loud laughter, music, and dancing, Thanksgiving for us is typically more of a quiet, extended meal. Compared to our huge, ridiculous 4th of July party, it's no wonder I don't find this one as fun.
But despite my tepidity towards the holiday, there are some things about the celebration that I do look forward to every year. Below, the 5 best parts of my Thanksgivings:
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My mother's double baked potatoes. She only makes them once a year and they are undoubtedly the best things EVER.
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Showing appreciation. One of our family traditions once we finally sit down and eat is to around the table and share what we're thankful for. Since I don't get to see all of my relatives all of the time, it's a nice opportunity to look them in the eye and say thanks.
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Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season, which actually is the happiest time of the year.
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The annual kitchen mishap. Every year without fail, someone drops some crucial part of the meal or burns it, etc. At this point, it's more like a running joke than an actual source of stress for the cooks in the kitchen (which is good, because they're already stressed enough).
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The reminscing. I enjoy recallling old, funny family stories–especially ones that I have long since forgotten about!
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