*Tumblr Thanksgiving
Credit: “Dreamer”
By Katie Winn
November 7, 1:39 PM MT
MERIDIAN, ID– Nothing makes the heart throb and stomach grumble like the mention of a day long feast. Thanksgiving is one of the most festive and popular holidays in the United States and Canada. For those who are unpatriotic and fell asleep in history class; Thanksgiving was the day that the Wampanoag and Pawtuxet Indians made a peace treaty with the Puritan pilgrims. The Native Americans provided the starving-close to death-Puritans with food, shelter, clothes, and other necessities. They helped to set up these early Americans with the knowledge and supplies to survive in this foreign land. Even though this holiday has a very bright, and warm appeal to it, don’t let it fool you, there is a darker side.
When stuffing your cheeks full of food to prepare for winter hibernation in this festivity, you may want to watch what you eat. Each individual tends to forget about calories, nutrition, sugar, carbs, etc. But, just because one has forgotten this, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. Many tend to not think of the risks of Thanksgiving, because, at first glance, there aren’t any, other than the possibility of burning the food, or choking on a turkey leg. However, after reading this article, one may have paranoia on their sides, or in their side dishes.
According to an article, Thanksgiving Trauma, “Deep-frying turkeys poses a major hazard. If the turkey is wet or partially frozen when it hits the oil, the bird can catch fire, or even explode. ‘We’ve had fires that singed hair and eyebrows, and splash burns to the face,’ said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.” (Lewis, Tanya). This is just a minor example of the darker side of this portrayed, happy holiday. Another quote from the previous source, says, “One of the most common problems around Thanksgiving, as one might guess, involves eating and drinking too much, Glatter said. The combination, he explained, can cause a surge in epinephrine or norepinephrine, which triggers atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) in a structurally normal heart. Doctors call it ‘holiday heart.’ Normally, hydration is all that’s needed to treat it.” (Lewis, Tanya). If this hasn’t opened your eyes to the possible risk of overindulging on this day, then this next paragraph may do the trick.
Not only can food be a killer, but family can too. During the time span of Thanksgiving, family tends to gather close. This, however, can lead to tension, dug up feelings, and possibly violence. As written in an article and survey concocted by Buzzfeed, “One of my uncles got incredibly drunk and decided to make a speech. He proceeded to grade each of his brothers’ wives, listing all of their positive and negative attributes. He then turned to my stepmother, who is married to his twin brother, and told her he hated her taking his brother away. This started a huge brawl, which resulted in bloody noses, a broken arm, and my baby cousin pooping on the front lawn because he couldn’t get inside to use the bathroom.”(Whelan, Nora). One may want to consider getting to know their family members better. In this post submitted by an individual on Buzzfeed, said, “My grandma accused my aunt of stealing her wedding ring and threatened to call the police on her. We found out my grandma planted her wedding ring in my aunt’s purse when she admitted it this past Thanksgiving.” (Whelan, Nora). If you are looking to be slightly paranoid of your father’s leg hair, this Thanksgiving, then don’t read this quote, “One year my aunt and my dad got into a fight after he ripped off his leg hair and put it on her pie while she wasn’t paying attention.” (Whelan, Nora). Some may be lucky, and have that picture perfect, wide, cheeky grinned family, but as portrayed in these quotes, that isn’t the case for these unlucky pilgrims.
Over all, don’t get too caught up in these festivities, due to the fact that you could: one, die; or two, be poisoned by a malicious family member carrying an unaddressed hatred. Despite these horror stories, enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday. Now, watch how much you guiltily indulge in, and always, always keep an eye on your health and wellbeing. Just remember, that poop on your lawn, may not be dog poop…
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