The idea of Thanksgiving is lovely: families happily gathered around the dinner table, playing football in a yard sprinkled with crunching leaves, or cuddled up around the television to watch the parade, laughing all the while. But the reality is that someone (maybe even you) is going to have a meltdown about the turkey, your nephew will get elbowed in the face and will have to make a rush trip to the E.R., and your weird uncle will not stop talking about how the President elect will make America great again. Then, just when you don’t think it could get any worse, you will stare into the distance on this day of familial chaos and remember that this holiday, in fact, celebrates the slaughter of indigenous peoples.
Okay, it’s time to chill. the eff. out.
Holidays like this are notoriously stressful, from the travel to the reminders that you should “just get along” to the seemingly inevitable political discussions. So whether your vice is caffeine, alcohol, anything pumpkin flavored, or a little Mary Jane, here’s how to get through the stressful Thanksgiving break while remaining (mostly) sane.
