Most people look forward to the holiday season all year long. It means that you’ll finally get to have some time off from work, devour all of your favorite seasonal dishes and spend quality time with your loved ones. But what we tend to forget is how stressful these occasions can be.
One woman who knows all too well how chaotic Thanksgiving can get shared a post on Reddit detailing how her family’s celebration blew up last year. Below, you’ll find the full story of how her relatives managed to get themselves kicked out of her home, as well as some of the replies invested readers shared.
This woman was happy to host her family's Thanksgiving for the first time
Image credits: rawpixel / freepik (not the actual photo)
But when her relatives ruined the vibe by talking about politics, she decided that they could just go home hungry
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Gaitville
40% of families admit that they typically argue during the holidays
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Thanksgiving is all about gathering with loved ones and enjoying a delicious meal together. It’s supposed to be a cozy and relaxing holiday, but we all know that it often escalates into chaos.
Someone will be trapped in the hot kitchen all day trying to juggle hosting with cooking ten dishes at once, while other family members might be getting drunk on the couch, watching football or arguing about politics in the corner. What is it about holidays that makes us so tense?
According to a poll from WROR, 40% of families admit that they fight around the holidays. And unsurprisingly, politics is the number one point of contention.
The American Psychological Association reports that nearly a third of Americans say the current political climate has put a strain on their relationships with family members. And 30% admit that they limit time with relatives because their values don’t align.
Putting all of these passionate people in the same room together on Thanksgiving or Christmas can turn a warm family home into a pressure cooker. But of course, politics aren’t the only issue that comes up during the holiday season. WROR found in their poll that many people also argue about family dynamics and past grievances.
It’s easy to keep things cordial when you don’t have to see your relatives, but it’s a bit more difficult when you’re all in the same room together. Finally, WROR notes that families often argue about relationships or finances.
But we have to be careful and choose our battles wisely, because apparently, a third of holiday arguments actually end up escalating into rifts that can damage relationships for years to come.
Exhaustion, regression and overindulgence can be a recipe for disaster on Thanksgiving
Image credits: nxtlvlstck / freepik (not the actual photo)
So why exactly do these arguments often come to a head on holidays like Thanksgiving? Sean Grover, LCSW, wrote a piece for Psychology Today discussing three key explanations for this.
The first reason Grover cites is exhaustion. Many of us travel during the holidays, but we tend to be in a rush while doing so. If you've been on planes and trains all night and you show up at Mom and Dad’s house dehydrated and absolutely drained, you might not be in the best mood.
Not to mention the fact that you probably had to wade through endless crowds in the airport and sit in traffic on the drive home. All of these factors are a recipe for irritability.
Another issue that affects many families during the holidays is regression. You may be an adult who’s been living away from your parents for decades, but once you find yourself back in your childhood home, surrounded by your siblings and parents, you might find yourself settling back into old habits. Sibling rivalries can reappear, old wounds might be opened, and you might suddenly feel like an angsty teenager again.
Finally, Grover notes that overindulgence might be another factor contributing to family fights around the holidays. If you’re drinking at these family gatherings, you might be less inhibited and perhaps even a little too honest. Drink responsibly, or you might end up saying something you’ll regret.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this woman was justified in kicking her family out of her home on Thanksgiving? Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing similar family drama, look no further than right here!
Many readers assured the author that she had every right to kick her relatives out
However, some thought that the author overreacted
