Non-Traditions

So the Thanksgiving holiday has come...and gone. In my house, this day is always a good one. I am very food oriented and it's always fun to compare notes with others about particular foods eaten, spirits imbibed, whether the gravy was lumpy, etc. And, although I think tradition is grand in theory, the idea of preparing and eating the same meal year after year is tedious to me. Not to belittle Aunt Jane's Bourbon Sweet Potatoes or Uncle Bob's Oyster Dressing (we're not really sure what Uncle Bob puts in this, but its peculiar to say the least), but the same meal holiday after holiday after holiday does take some of the joy out of it. There seem to be some pretty strict rules, too, about what is acceptable and appropriate holiday fare. The obvious, turkey on Thanksgiving, is practically sacred. One year, we had spaghetti for dinner on Thanksgiving. Friends and family were horrified to hear that we did not have a turkey and they were not comforted by my assurances that it was very good spaghetti! Spaghetti was simply NOT an acceptable holiday food!

Each holiday seems to demand its own particular food - lamb on Easter, hoppin' John on New Year's Day, ham for Christmas, hamburgers and hot dogs for Labor Day and so on. I say, the day should never be just about the meal but rather the people sitting around the table. With the way people move around and the way families are miles apart, if you're lucky enough to be sharing your table with at least one other person, go forth and eat what you want! Tradition be damned! In the end you're probably not going to remember the sweet potatoes, but hopefully you'll remember making Aunt Jane laugh with the story about the orange dress!