A legendary American custom is swiftly drawing near. It features turkey, intense discussions, and perhaps a smallpox blanket or so. Sure, that final detail occurred only once, but to be honest, I wouldn’t discount it for 2025.
That’s correct! It’s the season for the annual How To Converse With Your Far-Right Relatives at Thanksgiving article. Conversely, for those who support Trump, it’s the How To Converse With Your Liberal Cousin Who Likely Had Three Abortions While The Turkey Cooks article.
You know what to expect: Thanksgiving is when families convene, consume copious amounts of pie, sip three glasses of chardonnay, and subsequently engage in conflicts. Given the current charged political environment, here are some tips for safeguarding your tranquility—and ensuring enough relatives still favor you to secure the final slice of pie:
- To state the obvious, if your family’s political views render you unsafe or cause you to feel unsafe, you’re not obligated to attend dinner. Period. While some may suggest “set politics aside,” when it’s about your rights being eroded, the divide between political and personal concerns vanishes.
- So simply don’t go! Organize a Friendsgiving. Hit the dance floor. Spend an entire evening self-diagnosing with a thyroid issue on Web MD. (Oh, you’re fatigued? We’re ALL FATIGUED.) Sit in your apartment with a margarita and be intrigued that a movie titled “Hot Frosty” exists. Construct a snowman and challenge yourself to create your own Hot Frosty. Hook up with someone at a bar and then devise a sexual position named the Hot Frosty.
- Now, if you are daringly stepping into the Thanksgiving chaos, it might be because you rely on your family for financial assistance or still reside in their home. Perhaps you simply adore those dummies despite their political stances. (You can reach across the table—to pass the stuffing—even if you aren’t ready to reach across the aisle.) Now is the time to offer a few safe, uncontroversial comments that everyone can agree on.
- You can easily get through the pumpkin pie, I assure you, by discussing how Pesto the Penguin is the most adorable little creature or how fantastic it is that Gen-Z has made comfortable shoes fashionable. Here are additional suggestions for safe Thanksgiving conversational topics:
- Perhaps you don’t feel like discussing politics, but you’re still eager for a debate. Go for it! Vent all that frustration without needing to discover that your most eccentric in-law truly believes fluoride is covertly accessing his emails. Here are some very non-election-related statements sure to ignite a conflict:
- Lastly, maybe you’re genuinely ready for some spirited discourse. You might be a more enlightened individual than I am, able to discuss with someone who thinks tariffs will lower egg prices and justifies mass deportations alongside a revival of whooping cough. Kudos to you. Here are some suggestions if you’re looking to influence opinions and not merely cut ties.
First, focus on listening more than speaking. (I’ve never accomplished this but good luck to you.) The election has come and gone. You can’t rewind to alter your family’s choices; now might be the moment to listen and absorb. Plant some seeds that could eventually grow into a shift in mindset. You certainly don’t have to tolerate racism, misogyny, or similar attitudes, but outside of those, could it be worthwhile to hear their perspective?
In conclusion, if you truly wish to engage, consider it a start to a dialogue rather than a one-and-done deal. It likely took a considerable amount of time and perhaps a lot of Infowars or Fox News (or MSNBC and TikTok) for your loved ones to solidify their unpleasant viewpoints, and you won’t alter them over a sweet potato casserole. Give it time.
With all this in mind, also remember that Thanksgiving is fundamentally about gratitude and warmth. This week, your goal is to foster that sentiment in whatever way suits you—whether it’s surrounded by your extended family at a massive table with a 20-pound turkey, or two friends on Facetime enjoying a weed gummy.
Regardless of your choice, conclude the day with a Hot Frosty. Whatever that signifies for you.
