November 14, 2022 by Natalie Rock (’23)
Seasoned classics like mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and the annual turkey trot are all staples during the Thanksgiving holiday. People rush to the canned pumpkin pie aisle before the shelves are empty. Families start cooking at 9 am to create the perfect feast. Many puzzle pieces come together to make up the ideal Thanksgiving holiday, but there is one that often gets overlooked. Almost every family can agree that this tradition is longstanding, complex, and almost theatrical. Can you guess what that may be? That’s right. A Thanksgiving family fight!
Subtle digs lead to explosions of rage and a meal full of silence and dry turkey. How can one forget the classic Thanksgiving family fight? Even with so much to be grateful for, every little remark seems to strike the wrong chord. Sibling rivalries, passive aggression, opinionated extended family, and small differences are all common culprits of the classic quarrel between family members.
Perhaps it happens because negative emotions are held in, in an effort to maintain the peace, until they can’t be contained any longer. Maybe you strongly disagree with the person sitting diagonally across from you about the best Thanksgiving food. It could be because you are a vegetarian. Or maybe you just hate stuffing. Whatever the case, Thanksgiving causes family fights across the globe, for the 17 countries that celebrate it worldwide.
So, if family fights are one of your only Thanksgiving traditions, no need to worry. You are far from alone. An online survey found 65% of people anticipate a Thanksgiving brawl within their family. Many students at Saratoga High feel the same. When asked about Thanksgiving traditions Jessye Conners answered, “my brother and dad fight”. She elaborated by saying, “it was a very quiet dinner. It is safe to say we didn’t eat pie together that night.”
When asked the same question about traditions, Carly Fay answered, “my family throws wine glasses at each other, and my grandma puts pie on your head if you fall asleep.” When solely asked about traditions, not even family fights, multiple people mentioned the more unorthodox tradition. Screaming matches and passive-aggressive comments seemed to be remembered better than the other components of the night.
When asked about family fights, one student stated, “Thanksgiving is the worst holiday in my family. Everyone screams at each other.” SSHS senior Jade Helal described a Thanksgiving fight over tattoos, saying, “it was one of our bigger arguments.” Another SSHS student said, “my mom always ends up in a silent but emotional screaming match with my Nana.” It’s safe to say many students agree that fights are almost as common a tradition as pumpkin pie.
With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, remember to cherish those around you, enjoy the delicious food, soak up the last bits of fall, and most importantly fight with your family. You can’t fight tradition, but you can fight your uncles and aunts! Happy holidays to those who fight at the Thanksgiving dinner table, and to those who don’t celebrate… feel free to fight in the living room instead.