Holiday family dinners are supposed to be a combined effort. The right thing to do is bring a side dish, maybe help cook, throw in some money for utensils, or just help clean up at the very least (because times are tough, you know). When one person is left to buy all the goods and cook everything, it’s overwhelming. As one North Carolina woman says, this is the reason why so many people are deciding to avoid hosting Thanksgiving. People are not made of money, after all.
With the cost of groceries going up, paying for Thanksgiving this year is going to hurt, despite what President Trump claims. And that’s not even considering the effort it takes to feed a large family gathering of 10 or more people. As one TikToker argues, it’s why so many people are choosing to cancel Thanksgiving dinner. TikToker Jaylah looks back on her childhood, remembering older family members would make sure everybody was fed when they had a large gathering. She argues it isn’t feasible anymore, and for that reason, people should be helping more.
Jaylah said it’s disheartening to “look at my grocery cart” and how much everything costs these days. She said she couldn’t imagine spending that kind of money and “nobody is contributing, not even a dime.” It may not be possible for everybody to contribute financially, but they can typically contribute their time. As Jaylah says, “love” by itself isn’t always enough when it comes to family.
Sometimes, love is showing up and showing you’ll help with your time and money when it’s possible. If families want to keep getting together for gatherings, they’ll have to work as a team instead of leaving the responsibilities for only one person. Bringing a simple dish of mac and cheese or offering to do dishes afterward is still contributing. And no one should be shaming you if money is tight and a little labor is the best you can offer.
One commenter shared their personal story: “Growing up my grandma hosted, but everyone contributed. All the aunts grabbed groceries and took it to my grandma beforehand. My mom, me, my older sister, and one of my aunts came over early to help prep the food and set up. My uncles came to fix the yard and set up the bonfire. It was family effort. The key to a good holiday season is everyone pitching in. Period,” they said.
It’s also a great way to spend some time with loved ones. You’d be proud of a meal that you all cooked together, right? I know I would. And grandma will surely thank you!
