5 Topics To Avoid Like The Plague During Thanksgiving Dinner | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

5 Topics To Avoid Like The Plague During Thanksgiving Dinner

Avoiding these five topics will guarantee a smoother, more pleasant day for all involved.

297
5 Topics To Avoid Like The Plague During Thanksgiving Dinner
Pam Woods Halbach

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.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

300698
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments