Thanksgiving Day. The biggest day in the world for food-eaters everywhere. Starting bright and early, the turkey is in the oven, the potatoes are being mashed by your younger siblings, Dad has been sent to run to the grocery store for something that Mom forgot, and Grandma has left the bread in her oven at home. All the while, you can hear Al Roker in the background at the infamous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But in the end, it all turns out beautifully, and you're left floating in this feeling somewhere between beached whale and content puppy. It's wonderful. Thanksgiving changes people, and throughout the hours that make up Thanksgiving, a lot of emotions are felt by everyone in the house. So here are the 11 most common feelings of humans on Thanksgiving.
1. The Pre-Thanksgiving hype:
Don't even try to pretend that you don't know exactly what I'm talking about here, folks. We all know the excitement we get when we hear the menu for the big day while Mom's on the phone with Grandma.
2. You're finally "old enough" to be in charge of the bird:
This basically means you've completed your training and are certified by Mom to get up at the crack of dawn to work on the star so she doesn't have to anymore.
3. The family game of football before the meal:
You know, the one where Dad and Grandpa fight it out over your cousin, the best quarterback his high school has ever seen.
4. The "controversial topic" alarm:
When your grandpa wants to question your sister's boyfriend on his views of the second amendment, when your neighbors want to talk about the next presidential election, or when the dog decides it's a great idea to bark at the mailman, sparking conversation about the importance of saving animals.
5. Preparation to become the happiest version of yourself:
Let's not deny the fact that we go to Thanksgiving dinner dressed to impress nobody but ourselves with how much food we manage to fit in our stomachs.
6. "Mom called dinner five minutes ago:"
The mad dash to the table from the backyard, or the floor of the living room (if you're not taking part in the family football outside), to make sure you grab the seat closest to the turkey and the kitchen.
7. The moments before the turkey reaches your plate:
Translation: The most important of time of the entire day. Grandpa has just carved the turkey, and you're watching its quick approach to the fine china in front of you.
8. Not even bothering to hide your hunger:
It all comes down to this. The starvation period you've gone through for the last 24 hours is finally worth it. The amount of turkey you can shove into your mouth right now made the wait totally OK.
9. Fighting your stomach, thinking you can handle dessert:
Listen, just because you could handle all of the turkey, potatoes, stuffing and vegetables doesn't mean you're ready for the mousse and pie. Chill out, take a nap, rest it off, and then head back to the table for the good stuff.
10. End of the day success:
When you do actually finish that turkey and manage to squeeze in the dessert too, and all before bed, you know you've planned your day well.
11. The morning after:
When Mom thinks it's OK to serve the leftovers for Friday's lunch and dinner. No, not today.
So there you have it, the 11 feelings of Thanksgiving. Happy Turkey Day, everyone!
