It’s almost Christmas, and I’m going to be honest — I’m not emotionally prepared for another turkey. The only birds I want to hear about are the partridges in a pear tree.
In fact, we didn’t even have turkey for Thanksgiving. By that point, we were already turkeyed out. So instead, we made pot roast — but some of the familiar sides were welcome to the party. Macaroni and cheese is mandatory. Of course, the same goes for sweet potato pie.
Honestly, part of this goes way back to childhood. My father believed in getting the biggest bird possible and recycling it for days: turkey dinner, turkey sandwiches, even turkey fried rice. Turkey in ways I didn’t even know were possible. By the end of the week, we were ready to run away from home… or straight to McDonald’s.
No disrespect to Dad — he meant well — but once he passed away, we eventually decided: no Thanksgiving turkey. After that, no Christmas turkey either.
The Turkey Lost Its Appeal
At one point, I even floated the idea of tacos. Then, cheeseburgers. Or literally anything that doesn’t gobble back at me. One sister immediately agreed. My brother doesn’t care — he’ll eat anything. My nephews are a lot like their uncle; they’ll eat anything too, as long as there’s macaroni and cheese. Still, some of us have reached our turkey limit, and we’re honoring that.
So this year, we’re having seafood. No guilt. No explanations. Just something lighter, fresher, and honestly… more joyful…and NO LEFTOVERS! 😊🤣😂
Traditions Change (and That’s Okay)
In the end, maybe that’s the quiet lesson here. Traditions don’t disappear when we change them — they evolve. We carry the memories we love, let go of the parts that no longer fit, and make room for what feels right now.
Christmas doesn’t require a turkey.
Instead, it just requires being together.
For us, that means seafood and zero regrets. 🦐✨
Honoring the memories, skipping the turkey, and choosing a little more ease — that’s Christmas, our way.
— dragonflies & honey
