It’s no secret that the holidays are a fun and wonderful time of year. We wait all year for these last few weeks of fun and merriment. And nothing says the holidays like family and friends. There is nothing like sitting around with your family having a great meal just enjoying each other’s company. Family, we love them but we can’t live without them. They annoy us and they make everything better. Although every family is different there are a few family members that are present in every family and every holiday meal.

The Pig

It wouldn’t be a family dinner with that one person who eats like they haven’t eaten all year, The Pig. The Pig is usually an uncle or a teenage boy. The Pig will eat you out of a house and a home. They always have more than one plate each stacked higher than the last. They eat everything. They don’t even have to know what it is because as long as it is edible they will eat it. The Pig is known for not only cleaning their multiple plates but also everyone else’s plate. We all love The Pig but before they come over we have to hide some food for later.

The Complainer

The Complainer is never satisfied no matter what you do they will find something to complain about. They walk into your house complaining. First the smell of the food is too overbearing. Then it’s too hot in the house. Then there is not enough room in the dining area. The Complainer is the one when they pull up there is a group sigh and the famous “Ugh, here we go again.” The Complainer will complain about any and everything, but we still love them because they are family.

The "Story-topper"

It is obvious who The Story-topper is in the family. They are the ones who are talking 50 percent of the time. Whenever someone at the table tells a story, they have one that is way more extravagant. They tell these amazing stories that everyone knows are exaggerated beyond belief. The Story-topper will tell a story for twenty minutes in the most dramatic way only because Janice just told a five-minute story that every loved. The Story-topper has had more near-death experiences, has been on more adventures, and has the most hilarious life if you let them tell it. Although most of their stories are either wildly exaggerated or just a flat out work of fiction we still love to hear their stories. Until they story-top us.

The Know-it-all

It isn’t a family get together without the Know-it-all correcting everyone’s grammar and throwing out random facts no one cares about. They are famous for their “Did you know,” or better yet “Actually.” When you hear one of those two you know the Know-it-all is about to prove to the entire family that they know more than everyone else does. They may be annoying, but they are extremely smart.

The Adult Child

The Adult Child is the child no older than 13 that thinks they are one of the adults. Whenever there is a group of adults talking the Adult Child is there trying to get into the conversation somehow. They are the ones your mother describes as “too grown for me.” The Adult Child hears “Grown folks is talkin’, go over there with the children” more times than they can count during a family get together. All the adults are annoyed by the Adult Child, and all the children look to them for the inside on what the adults are talking about.

The Loudmouth

The Loudmouth is the family member you hear before they get to your house. They are always laughing, and they absolutely cannot whisper. They are the ones who are banned from the TV room because you won’t hear the TV with them in the same room. They never stop talking. It seems like everything they say they have to shout. They are funny and will keep the family laughing, but they will give everyone a headache.

Those are just six of the many family members that are always present at a family gathering. And most likely if you can’t tell who one of these six are in your family, it is probably you. I hope everyone has a great holiday and enjoys their family this holiday season.