The holidays are a time of love and family togetherness. It should be shared with loved ones and good food. Eating a family dinner is one of the most festive and fun traditions Christmas brings.
But that dinner can become a hot argument and debate if the wrong topics come up. So in the fashion of the holidays and good cheer, I’m going to give three topics that should be avoided at the dinner table over the holidays.
#1 The 2024 Election
The Election this year was a very contested event. This election should be avoided for two reasons. By bringing the election up, you are bound to trigger your aunt who used to live in New York but recently moved to Pennsylvania. She will likely throw an outrageous fit on the family, she will leave still fumed, and head to the docks to go on her four year cruise.
The other outcome of bringing the election up is your 70 year old grandpa would roll his sleeve up and show you the Trump 2016 and 2024 winner tattoo that he just got. While not causing as much of an interruption or a surprise, it would be disturbing and you would probably lose your appetite.
#2 That one cousin
This topic is a little more family central. We all love our families. Well, maybe we all like our families. Ok, ok, families are difficult, but we all try to communicate and get along with our family. Despite that, every family has that one cousin. The one they all agree is a little different then the rest of the family. They are in the back of everybody’s mind, usually forgettable until they show up at the family reunion or the funeral or the birthday party. You tend to see them in the most random places, and it surprises you every time because you keep forgetting they are there. The cousin should not be a topic of discussion at the Christmas table because you forgot they were sitting right next to you.
#3 Inheritance
This is a big one. People love getting things, especially things from their parents or grandparents. Inheritance, which ranges from grandma’s jewelry, to grandpa’s car, to mom and dad’s money (really debt). Inheritance should be avoided in order to keep from your mom and aunts fighting between the 1950 necklace, and the uncles and your dad fighting for the 1981 pontiac in the garage. These arguments are bound to leave a bad taste in the food and most likely somebody in the hospital.
The holidays can be stressful, but it is also a time of rest and joy. Please enjoy the holiday season and share the love with your family. Families can be complicated but we need to love everybody despite their shortcomings or disagreements you have with them. Families are meant for our betterment and to help us become better people.
