Giving Thanks Separately: A Solution to Idaho Thanksgiving Food Fights

As we all prepare for our harvest feasts and give thanks for the bounty of our crops and lives through the year, some issues must be addressed. While not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving in the same way, or with the same food, everyone should celebrate somehow.

This may be a time to give thanks, but how each person does so may require too many accommodations to be adaptable. This person can’t doesn’t eat meat. That one won’t eat gluten, Fruitarians offer their own brand of special fun. Perhaps now is the time to give thanks separately, not together.

What Kind of Thanksgiving Food Blesses Your Table?

Ours is a house of meat and animal products. If a food is not primarily meat, it has something made from meat added. Green beans have bacon bits, gravy has turkey drippings, mashed potatoes have butter, salad has ham or boiled eggs, and even the pie crust uses lard. All these things get washed down with a few gallons of milk. Thanksgiving is predominantly for omnivores.

For those of you concerned with gluten, this is not your holiday either. There are croutons on the salad. Rolls are everywhere. Watch out, the stuffing may pollute your area. Even gravy has flour in it. Maybe the green bean casserole…, nope. The onions are breaded. Can’t do it.

An Offered Solution to Thanksgiving Food Clashes

So, vegans, vegetarians, and people with food allergies could come, but bring their own food. Sure, that’s an option. Some have done so with no problems.  But how many bring their judgment to the table with them? The looks of derision are obvious as the rest of us enjoy our food while they smugly gnaw on a carrot.

Why don’t we get past the pretense? Maybe food-segregated celebrations will catch on. Tofurky, pecan logs, raw broccoli, and cauliflower can bless their tables with an abundance of dietary dogma that we can finally avoid. All parties involved will be thankful.