Scene: Thanksgiving day has arrived. Family and friends from all over have gathered to celebrate the joyous holiday. Then the wrong topic comes up and a peaceful, nice dinner conversation turns into your worst nightmare.
Here are give topics to avoid during Thanksgiving to guarantee yourself a nice meal.
1. Politics
This is a classic but seriously, people avoid it. This topic never ends well and there should be no reason why it needs to be brought up on this joyous occasion. This topic seems to be brought up around this time as election day has just passed; however, as individuals, we all are unique in our different ways, and hold different beliefs and ideals close to us. Many times these differences can be expressed through healthy conversations but often times people will use argumentative techniques which may attack the other person's beliefs in a personal aspect.
The best way to make everyone happy is to not talk about it at all, besides there are way more fun things to talk about.
2. Love Life
Holidays are often the times we are able to meet family member's and friend's significant others, which is always a sweet time. However, just because we meet them does not mean it is always a good idea to make their love life and romance our business. I learned this the hard way. A few years ago, I met my cousin's boyfriend at the time and we were talking when I asked him what his intentions were.
Let's just say, I've never seen someone more off guard ever before. Poor guy. It turned out because now they're married and we laugh about it, but my comment definitely could've scared him away.
On the other side of things, if you're single in your life the last thing you want to talk about the whole meal is how happy everyone else is with their significant others. So, a little update is okay, but definitely don't make it Thanksgiving dinner conversations all about relationships, rather focus on the loved ones you are surrounded by.
3. All about yourself.
All your relatives are going to want to hear about your life and what you've been up to, and you should tell them. Although, you should tell them what you've been up to, ask them about their lives too. Asking someone about their lives and really taking the time to listen is such a genuine gesture and will make the conversations so much more mutually enjoyable.
4. Anything your grandma wouldn't want to hear.
Parties, anything illegal you've done (speeding tickets, trespassing, etc.) aren't stories that need to be shared. There is no reason to disappoint your grandparents, so just don't bring it up and let them see you as the "good, angelic, sweet" grandchild you are. Save the wild college stories for another time, and if they ask "How's school going?", just tell them about how you rocked your last philosophy test.
5. Negativity.
Life isn't perfect, and there's no reason to pretend like your life is any more perfect than anyone else's. Thanksgiving is a holiday that family, friends, and loved ones come together unified in focusing on being grateful for what they have. So put the negativity aside for the day, and live in the moment being thankful for the foods on your plate and the people you are surrounded by.
Thanksgiving dinner is nothing we should dread. Avoiding these five topics will guarantee a smoother, more pleasant day for all involved.
