Thanksgiving Day Disasters: How to Handle Them

Burned Turkey
Turkeys take quite a long time to cook in a traditional oven, and so it seems unlikely that a turkey would end up burned if cooked this way. However, ovens malfunction. Alas, a burned turkey.

A popular trend in recent years is to cook the turkey in a deep fryer. If not done properly, the deep fryer cooking method has been known to result in a fire at more than one Thanksgiving Day get together. If the only harm done from the fire is a burned turkey, the proper thing to do is to add this to the list of things for which to give thanks. Everyone will survive without having turkey. Or, for the adventurous, perhaps some of the "well-done" turkey is still salvageable.

Inebriated Relative
Does your uncle Bob routinely show up late to yet another family holiday dinner already more than a bit drunk? This is a tough one. It really depends on the specifics of the situation and the way the hosts wish to handle it.

Sometimes Uncle Bob's wife, Aunt Martha, will accompany Uncle Bob and try to keep everything as low key as possible. If the host were to ask Uncle Bob to leave, your beloved Aunt Martha would most likely need to leave as well (at least to drive Uncle Bob safely home).

If Uncle Bob behaves himself rather well after having a few too many drinks, then the host may decide to simply allow him to stay. However, if Uncle Bob becomes hostile, angry, or makes a scene, it is perfectly acceptable to ask him to leave. In fact, in consideration of the other guests, the right thing to do would be to ask him to leave.

Political or Religious Debates
When family members get together for a holiday gathering, there are sure to be differing opinions when it comes to topics such as politics or religion. It may be best to avoid these topics altogether to ensure a peaceful, pleasant Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Does your ultra right wing Aunt Mary insist on sharing "the message of Christ" with everyone during Thanksgiving Day dinner? Try saying very little in response and changing the subject. Is Aunt Mary into crocheting or quilting? Quickly change the subject by asking about her latest craft projects. You may end up being a bit bored by the conversation, but at least any Thanksgiving Day controversy is avoided.