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So apparently there's this big hub bub this year (because it wouldn't be modern society if we couldn't take something small and make a thing out of it) about what time people eat on Thanksgiving. People are firmly in their camps and declare everyone else "wrong" whilst giving their list of 20 reasons why they are right.
When I was growing up, we ate at 1pm. That tradition got wrecked when one of my aunt's MIL's decided to manipulate her family after 20 years of doing it the same way so that she could claim the 1pm spot. Oh, my grandma was PISSED because the agreement was made when they got married and it had been working fine up to that point and to my knowledge, no one asked that it be changed. Now the whole thing got thrown off and that branch of the family tree would eat at 1pm every other year at their other side of the family's while the rest of us had to wait until 4pm and then have to listen to them gripe about how full they were. It got to the point I told one of them that they knew they were coming over so either eat less at the first place or STFU and stop ruining it for the rest of us who are now starving having to wait so long.
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Then when my aunt started hosting, it was moved to 2pm to which the purist in me was like "what's this horse crap!?!" 1pm was just long enough that you could have some toast and tea for breakfast and 'save up' for the big eat feast. 2pm meant you'd show up hangry- words would be exchanged, you'd load up on appetizers and still stuff down a plate and dessert and overdo it while listening to the extra younger family members slap their guts and talk about having to workout while dumping their third piece of pie down her face hole. SHUT IT. (I need to clarify that just because the holiday "started" at 1pm doesn't mean you ate at 1pm. We had a chronically late family tree branch who were always a minimum of 30 minutes late then by the time they got settles, it was 15 minutes later or so which meant eating at 1:45-2pm on the good years. It meant eating at 2:45-3pm on the bad ones or when appetizers ran out and we were like "screw it, start the line whether they're here or not.)
Apparently, many people eat from 4-6pm, some as late as 8pm! I understand it's called Thanksgiving dinner but I never questioned it because I'd be full enough to not need to eat dinner but have another piece of pie or whatever leftovers we might get for a nibble later. If I ate the way I do on Thanksgiving later, I would have to be strapped to a dolly and sleep upright like an astronaut. (Like I did when we ate at 4pm on the every other year.)
So since we're solo again this year, we're eating whenever the hell we feel like it which will likely be close to 1pm. Last year we had light pumpkin pie for breakfast which felt amazing because we're like "NO RULES!!!!" But then I also felt more full for the main meal so who knows what we'll do this year. I don't care when people eat, just eat. You do you. There is no right or wrong...only opinions and they're like buttholes, everybody's got one.
When do you eat for Thanksgiving? (And is it different for Christmas or same time?)
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Growing up it was always 1 for my family and that is why I agree that it was no fun once your family changed things to 4 to accommodate that other side. You get way more eating done when you start at 1!
ReplyDeleteChristmas I am okay with waiting til a little later because I tend to want to just play with my toys before having to be somewhere right away.
Since my mom doesn't eat beef or pork, if we cook then the meal is the same as Christmas. But since T-day is the big holiday for the in-laws, since I got married 4 years ago we have been having that meal with them rather than my family. Historically we were always early afternoon eaters like your family.
ReplyDeleteWhen we go to my IL's house, my MIL likes to eat around 1 pm. One time when we happened to go the night before, my MIL didn't bother to have any breakfast available because she thought we should all wait to eat. She did put out some foods to nosh on when my BIL and his family came but that was usually around 11. My husband, her son, was so pissed. He is a picky eater and likes to eat something for breakfast never mind we have 2 kids, so they're always hungry. I don't know why he complained to me as it wasn't my house and he grew up there. In any case, that was a whole bag of you know what. This year I'm having Thanksgiving dinner the night before and planning to rest on the day of since it's only our family.
ReplyDeleteThis literally just showed up in my inbox at 2:51pm today! Sorry I missed it yesterday. Growing up and even into adulthood we always "attempted" to eat around 3pm, but it was almost always closer to 5pm or a little before not matter what holiday or who was hosting. Only one time were there no appetizers for one of the holidays because my mom was determined to have the meal done on time. Nope. So we never went without appetizers since! ROFL I'm not a stickler for times probably for that very reason. Even when I host and have everything planned to a "t" and have all the dishes done, I still manage to be late. I think I don't take into consideration how long it takes for the meat to cool/carve/plate, etc. Our lack of consistent meal time has been a long standing joke in the family.
ReplyDeleteI shoot for 2:00 and have plenty of appetizers for the hangrys. I find each year I am more relaxed through the prep phase. Thanksgiving feast seems to have a weird stressful timing dynamic like no other holiday meal. I used to get up super early to get that bird in and push myself to task completion so much that I was exhausted by mealtime. I now wake up whenever and start my process with little breaks here and there.
ReplyDeleteMuch simpler and calmer for me.