First off, let me just say that I don’t like Thanksgiving. It doesn’t even break my top five holidays (Go Earth Day!). Every Thanksgiving is simply fifteen hours of food preparation, thirty minutes of overeating, and then nine hours of napping. My least favorite sport, football, is the focal point in the living room, and I am utterly useless in the kitchen. I love seeing my family, but I also see them quite often since they live so close to me, so there isn’t much to talk about. I am always busy with school around Thanksgiving, and this year is particularly brutal.
So, I decided I needed a break. Taking time to simply relax seemed like a bad idea to me. I just need to catch up on school, work, and earn some money to buy Christmas gifts for my friends and family and perhaps write. However, despite all my reasoning, I still felt guilty for my choice.
There seems to be an unspoken pressure in our culture to celebrate holidays with our family no matter what. Fortunately, my family is very understanding, but I’m sure for others it’s much more difficult to explain yourself. Maybe your reason is like mine, or maybe you don’t feel safe around your family, or maybe you don’t want to celebrate Thanksgiving at all. No matter what reason you have, you’re not obligated to please anyone. Your family will understand, and if they don’t, open up the conversation for further discussion. Explain your reasoning behind your decision not to celebrate the holiday. Let them know that it is nothing personal against them (even if it is against them). There are many reasons people don’t celebrate certain holidays, including protest of the glorification of American colonization, the commodification of the holidays, or the exploitation of retail and food service workers this time of year. Tell your family why it is important to you, but remember some people will just refuse to listen.
Most importantly, you need to do what’s best for you. The holiday season is stressful enough without pushing yourself to do things you don’t want to do. Maybe you can start a new tradition with your friends and family, or just spend the day at home. Either way, happy holidays.