'I Want To Skip Thanksgiving For A Stress-Free, Workout-Filled Day Instead'

By Deborah Dunham for Blisstree.com

Say you had 25 people coming over for Thanksgiving. And say that entailed days of preparation, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, crystal and china washing, tablecloth ironing, spare table and chairs borrowing and all-around stress that could easily turn into a highly detectable level of bitchiness at any moment. For many of us, this is how Thanksgiving goes. A fun, family-filled feast can quickly turn from visions of togetherness and yummy eats to a disastrous, stress-filled day that leaves you exhausted -- not to mention bloated. For me, this tends to happen every holiday, and this is why I want to boycott Thanksgiving this year.

Last year, Angelina Jolie made headlines for skipping Thanksgiving too, but for very different reasons. She claimed that she hated this holiday because she didn't want to celebrate what white settlers did to native Americans and the domination of one culture over another. Interesting point, that admittedly, I've never given much thought. Still, my reasons for wanting to skip the turkey and all the trimmings are more about celebrating what I'm really thankful for in a way that doesn't jeopardize my sanity.

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As anyone who has hosted a Thanksgiving dinner knows (and as we noted earlier this week, that's something that still tends to fall to women while the guys watch football): It's a lot of work. I want to watch football. OK, not really, but I do want a day off, and cooking and cleaning and entertaining family is not what I consider a day off.

Call me selfish, but here's what I'd much rather do:

Sleep in. Cooking a 20-plus pound turkey usually requires me to get up earlier than a normal work day, make the stuffing, allow it to cool, prep the bird and get it in the oven long before anyone else in the house has risen. This year, I want to wake up to no alarms and no hurry. Give thanks to my nice, warm bed.

Go for a long run. This is my idea of a perfect morning. Hit the local trails and run for a couple of hours. Give thanks for my strong legs and strong heart and Mother Nature.

Go to yoga. My local studio is kind enough to offer a class for "thanks and giving" on Thursday. Give thanks for my soul and my body.

Go on a picnic. I am lucky enough to live at the beach, so my idea of a perfect Thanksgiving meal would be to pack some turkey sandwiches and head to the ocean with my husband and boys for a few hours. Give thanks for my family.

Take a nap, lounge around the house. Isn't this what days off are all about? Give thanks for "doing nothing" time.

End the day feeling healthy -- not sick and bloated. Like so many of us, when I finish a Thanksgiving meal, I feel gross. Stuffed, tired, nauseous and like my pants are going to burst. It makes me feel bad for the rest of the day and into the next day too. This year, I vow not to feel that way. Give thanks for feeling light and healthy.

Relax in bed with a movie and my journal. Give thanks for the simple things in life.

Now, granted, when I ran this whole boycotting Thanksgiving idea by my family, they were not in favor. WHAT? No Thanksgiving? But I look forward to that every year. It's the one day I can eat a lot of meat (I am a vegetarian who doesn't normally cook meat). I want stuffing! I'm going to (insert friend's name) house for a real dinner. There's something wrong with you. This is just anti-American. Let's just say a small retaliation occurred.

So, what will I do? To be honest, I'm not sure now. The idea of spending a stress-free day with some great workouts is so appealing. Then again, so is a happy household. Either way, I have vowed to be truly thankful.

Comments

[angelroost]

03:21 AM on 11/24/2011

My oldest child works at a hotel in downtown Portland, OR and has to work at noon. We are all meeting, me and my 2 kids still at home for breakfast at a wonderful old hotel. I am so looking forward to this. Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out. I won't be stuffed. We will enjoy each other's company without being stressed. And after breakfast, I will go on a nice long hike with 2 of my kids and give thanks for all the natural beauty I am surrounded by. On another day this weekend, I fix a nice fall meal, maybe turkey, so no one feels cheated. But there will be no pressure and I will enjoy preparing the meal. Happy Thanksgiving to all regardless of how you experience it.

[brookercharl121]

01:11 PM on 11/22/2011

Angelina Jolie is not a good example. She obviously has eating issues. Thanksgiving is about family, friends and whoever else would like to partake. Most of my family are vegetarian. We all eat, we all get along and then we go for along walk. Maybe writer doesn't have a family or friends to visit. If so then working out and going to yoga is ok. I go to yoga the next day after Thanksgiving.

[Hlynn]

12:16 AM on 11/24/2011

I thought the Wampanoag Indians saved the Pilgrims from starvation by teaching them how to grow and preserve food. It was much later that many Native Americans were cheated of their land and murdered and sent to reservations--a horrible and shameful part of our U.S. history, to be sure, but I don't see what that has to do with Thanksgiving or the traditions of that holiday.

Thanksgiving is about being grateful for what we have, which is mostly the people in our lives. I'm a vegetarian and many in my family are not. We still eat together and enjoy each other and are thankful for the time together, and I love every opportunity to celebrate any time with my loved ones.

[llaurie21]

12:06 PM on 11/22/2011

It's only fun for the family members who show up, eat, then nap. It's so much work and I enjoy doing it to a point, but when all you've done is cook, cook, cook and then clean, clean, clean while everyone else mingles and enjoys, I could see how one would opt to not participate. So........if you are going to someone's house for Thanksgiving.......here's a thought......help clean up!!!!!!!!

[Hlynn]

12:23 AM on 11/24/2011

We divide up the food and beverages. Everyone brings something, or a few somethings, and we take turns meeting at each other's houses for Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, etc. And everyone brings containers to bring home leftovers. Everyone cleans up together and then we all play games (our current favorite is Apples to Apples--an oldie but a goodie).

Start a new tradition: everyone contributes and everyone cleans. "Many hands make light work" is a long time saying for a good reason. I hope your Thanksgiving will be more relaxing next year.

[Sally Barry]

10:59 AM on 11/22/2011

I'm with you.

[jessiernut]

10:19 AM on 11/22/2011

IF the family wants Thanksgiving dinner so badly, have them help out getting ready. Everybody wins. They get turkey, and you might have time for a quick workout.

[benitalu]

10:06 AM on 11/22/2011

Oh get a life!. I work out a lot, everyday for at least an hour, but sorry, I'm not giving up the fun, tmemory filled traditions that I grew up with and love. While exercise is good, let's not take it to an obsessive level. One day of enjoying great food, and hard work, isn't going to do any harm. And most Americans overeat everyday, so what's the big deal with celebrating Thanksgiving. And like I'm going to follow in Angelina Jolie's footsteps.. She's a total obsessive compulsive.

[TeriA1]

12:23 PM on 11/23/2011

He has a life..it's just different than yours.