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Even though turkey is a Thanksgiving staple, many people dislike it. What are your Thanksgiving hot takes?
Thanksgiving is a holiday centered on celebrating things we are thankful for, often including our health, friends, family, and—central to Thanksgiving—our access to good food. While everyone feasts upon turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie, this year The Lamron has some hot takes we would rather be discussing than what kind of pie is for dessert.
First of all, it is important to remember the origins of Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving was not the happy, celebratory dinner we were taught it was growing up. Rather, it marked the beginning of violent colonization being forced upon many native peoples. While we all love a good feast and spending time with those we love, The Lamron does not want to forget the historical significance of the day.
Now we will get into the good stuff—or not so good stuff. Thanksgiving food is full of highs and lows. Most of The Lamron loves a fresh, warm apple pie, while some of us prefer the more underrated dish, apple crisp, or even pumpkin seeds as opposed to pumpkin pie. Let us be honest though—dessert is the best part of Thanksgiving.
Overall, the traditional Thanksgiving meal staples, including turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and various other things covered in gravy, are simply not appealing. Some at The Lamron would prefer to replace them with some traditional family dishes, like a baked mac and cheese or applesauce jello. Others note that if they could just take the rolls and the pie, they would be satisfied. The jury is still out on stuffing, however.
The Lamron also recognizes that celebrating Thanksgiving as someone with dietary restrictions, such as being vegetarian or vegan (or simply a picky eater), makes the meal even less appealing—unless your family looks forward to the Tofurkey.
While we discuss the traditional aspects of Thanksgiving, we would like to enter Friendsgiving into the conversation. For many, spending time with family is not the lovely picture it is painted to be around holidays. Looking forward to a day centered around friends and chosen family is just as valid and important as being with relatives, especially during this holiday season, which is ultimately not about food or other traditions, but about being with those that you love.
With food and family covered, The Lamron has some traditions and other parts of Thanksgiving that truly make the day special. After all, we are not looking forward to Thanksgiving for dinner. With much of Thanksgiving being about food we do not love, we have to be excited about other things! Pulling Christmas decorations out of the attic, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the annual dog show, wearing cozy sweaters, seeing family, friends, and other loved ones, and getting ready for a cozy winter ahead feel more special than Thanksgiving dinner itself.
And, despite our issues with the food choices available, Thanksgiving is still a special holiday. While some of us spend the day looking forward to other traditions and getting ready for other winter holidays, there is still magic to be found in Thanksgiving. Instead of focusing on the trials of Thanksgiving dinners, we are more interested in a better debate: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or Charlie’s Brown Thanksgiving? Both make the day exciting.