Home Alone? Not OK this Day!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the proportion of households consisting of one person living alone increased from 17 percent in 1970 to 26 percent in 2005. But what about Thanksgiving? One quarter of us may be living alone, but this Thursday, Americans are prohibited from actually being alone. This is the only thing I resent about Thanksgiving, (and New Year’s Eve, but that’s another story and another blog.) I have to hand it to my mother. Her Thanksgiving tradition is to respond with regrets to all of her invitations, telling each one that she will be dining elsewhere, only to spend the day home alone watching the Macy’s parade and the football games. She may be quirky, but she knows not to appear un-American.
At my house we always have a crowd since this only child married into a family, which, however long it’s been since they’ve spoken to each other, will always rally for this holiday. Even the seating chart must impose a patriotic togetherness. This is why I just spent hours creating a hodgepodge of tables and chairs in order to seat 16 people together in the dining room, rather than setting up small tables in different rooms as I would do for any other dinner party. Thanksgiving, however, may be dinner, but it is no party. We overeat. The food is white and preferably overcooked. The menu may not vary, (except for the occasional tofu turkey.) The choice of wine is cheap white, but thankfully lots of it, because the conversation is not even expected to sparkle.
I don’t mean to knock Thanksgiving. There are a lot of good things about it. Everyone helps with the dishes. The nieces usually bring a new boyfriend to grill. Even library employees get the day off, and maybe even two. There is no gift-giving, no anxiety about the menu or the guest list. It is not a religious holiday, so you can wish everyone a happy. There is great shopping the day after. Actually, it may be the perfect holiday, as long as you’re not home alone!