Thanksgiving is the perfect day for food, family, and other fall stuff. One thing that it's not always perfect for? Significant others.
Whether you're going to your parents' house, having a big family gathering, or just hanging out with some of your dearest friends, bringing a date can be a little problematic.
Here are five reasons that we wouldn't recommend bringing a date to Thanksgiving.
See also: 7 Things No Guy Wants to Hear
5. The uncomfortable "Meet my entire family!" moment.
Meeting your partner's parents can be bad enough. Hopefully, your date has met your parents before Thanksgiving, because he/she is likely going to meet at least a handful of other family members that evening. No matter how distant or obscure, there's no better day for extended family to pop up than Thanksgiving. While a hug from grandma might be fine, an overly-friendly aunt or a touchy-feely little cousin could cause a problem.
4. Everyone will assume you're more serious than you are.
It doesn't matter if you're bringing your significant other of five years or a brand new partner, everyone at the dinner table is going to assume that the two of you will be getting married soon. Regardless of what your actual situation is, it's going to be weird when your mustached uncle assumes he'll be a groomsman and your grandmother says she can't wait for you to start the next generation. They don't realize that the two of you don't even live together yet.
3. No one looks cute while stuffing themselves.
Thanksgiving is a time to eat as much food as you possibly can before you feel sick. It's virtually impossible to shove food in your face while looking attractive. Forget about that tight dress or the skinny jeans, you might be better off going with the sweater that'll cover your food-baby at the end of the night. There's a good chance you're going to leave with an entirely different midsection than you had upon arrival, and not in the "Six Minute Abs" kind of way.
2. The questions you'll get.
"So when's the wedding?" "How long have you two been together?" "Do you want to have kids?" "Did I ever tell you about the person I used to date who was just like the person you're dating?" Yeah, you and your date are going to get some unwanted questions from family members at any gathering. Thanksgiving is just a perfect storm where people have plenty of time to talk and there's just enough wine present to get grandma a little loose-lipped before dessert.
1. Would you want to deal with your date's family?
Honestly though, put yourself in your date's shoes. If you were him/her, would you want to go to a holiday like that with his/her family? If the answer's not "Absolutely!" then make sure you check with your date to see if that's really what he/she wants to do. Maybe you can split time between the two families, or alternate years if you're in a long-term relationship. Plus, there's really no shame in doing Thanksgiving as just the two of you. It means you'll get way more leftovers and way less family drama.
