Talking politics at Thanksgiving

As families pass around the turkey and all the fixings, something else is sure to swirl around the table.

“Conversation, a lot,” said Margarita Raygorodesky of Monterey.

For many families, at some point, conversations will turn to politics, which may end up in arguments. For that reason people we talked to said Trump, Clinton and everything else White House related is off limits.

“We are not going to talk about politics during Thanksgiving,” said Mariam Santiago.

“No talking about politics, no fighting about politics,” said Raygorodesky.

Which may not be an easy thing to do. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, more than half of Americans said the election was the source of significant stress.

“They were too much picking on each other,” said Victoria Carter. “They were too much in their personal interest rather than the people who live here.”

Rather than focusing on difference of opinions, psychologists suggest focusing on what brings you together in order to get you through Thanksgiving and the rest of the weekend.

“Smile, smile, smile and talk lovely,” said Raygorokesky.

“It’s Thanksgiving, at least we can move on,” said Santiago.

Not all families will be able to totally avoid talking about politics, so it’s also recommended that families agree to disagree and listen to each other’s opinion without arguing.