Sloan Jambor ‘26, Sports Editor
Imagine you are sitting at the dinner table during Thanksgiving, when, all of a sudden, you are served steak. Steak… at Thanksgiving? Something is not right here. Certain foods do not belong at Thanksgiving, and others do not belong at Christmas, but, the question is, which foods belong at which holiday dinner?
The controversy is sparked on each holiday, yet why is it even up for debate? Why would turkey be served on Christmas when ham or steak could be served instead? The main course of a Thanksgiving meal should always be a turkey; the face of the holiday is a turkey. On the other hand, nobody would expect a Christmas dinner to consist of a freshly made turkey; the idea of a ham or steak for Christmas dinner became a tradition long ago since they both have many roots in past Christmas traditions. The main course between the two holidays is not up for debate—it is entirely non-negotiable.
Not only does the main course have clear-cut choices, the sides do as well. While not all families have the same sides, most share commonalities at their dinners. For example, mac n’ cheese is not eaten during Christmas because it is always served with a fresh Thanksgiving turkey. Sophomore Brynn O’Neil said, “I think mac n’ cheese belongs on the Thanksgiving dinner table, and mashed potatoes belong to Christmas.” Mashed potatoes are more commonly seen on Christmas, and they taste a lot better with a solid main course of ham or steak; on the other hand, with a turkey, their true flavor is dulled down. Another example of a side that should be served as part of the Thanksgiving meal would be stuffing. The stuffing’s flavor is paired perfectly with a slice of turkey right next to it; whereas, if it is paired with a medium rare steak, the taste of it is dulled down. The last side that attention should be brought to is cranberry sauce. While some families lather the sauce onto their turkey during Thanksgiving, it truly belongs to Christmas. The fruit of Christmas is a cranberry: cranberries are hanging on garland, there is a Christmas version of Sprite called Sprite Cranberry, and it tastes better when paired with ham. The sides are one of the most important factors of any holiday dinner, so making sure that the right side is paired with the right holiday is crucial.
Finally, the moment that every person waits for during every dinner: the dessert. For Thanksgiving, there needs to be pie. While pumpkin pie fits the occasion perfectly, an apple pie would be just as good of an addition to the table. On the other hand, Christmas deserves to have more of the sweeter desserts. For example, cookies, cakes, or even ice cream are different treats that belong to the Christmas dinner table each year. Junior Maggie Badrak said, “Thanksgiving is reserved for pumpkin pie even though it is gross. Other than that, desserts like cookies and some cakes are for Christmas.” Families can mix and match the cookies and cakes that they use for Christmas, but they can not mix and match those desserts to the Thanksgiving meal.
While there is a mixture of foods to choose from for each family’s holiday dinner, the correct combinations must be chosen for a successful holiday. Christmas and Thanksgiving each have their specific main courses, sides, and desserts, and if the two holidays are mixed then you will have a recipe for disaster rather than a delicious holiday dinner.
Lyon Life 