I'm 45 and I've been avoiding Thanksgiving with my family for the last decade. It all started one year when I told my mom, "I'd appreciate it if you could tell the girls (My 4 sisters) that the boys (Me and my two brothers) are plenty willing to do the cleanup, but we'd like a little break after eating. Last time they harassed us immediately after we finished dinner and we were really not in the mood to wash dishes at that moment."

Well of course that very Thanksgiving the girls were angrily cleaning up the table around my brothers and I while we were STILL EATING. "How dare you. You have no respect for your mother, leaving all these dirty dishes around! We helped make all this food so why are you sitting there while we clean!" they would say. Apparently word never got to them that this behavior was bullshit. I've done well finding excuses to avoid going to my parent's for T.G. for the last 5 years or so. This year, due to car problems I'm kinda stuck with them unless I'm willing to just do a "No thanks, I can get a pie off the store shelf on my own."

It seems to me that my sisters' behavior is because this holiday's traditions were set up in a patriarchy, with a woman spending a couple days preparing a feast (purchased by the man) and enjoyed by all. Feminism just doesn't know how to make this work for them--They feel that it is unequal. "Well the males have to clean!" is their answer, but it isn't enough satisfaction for them and they're actually boiling with anger inside. They find pleasure in trying to degrade the males by cleaning before people are even done eating. I really dont care about their tantrums. I just find that this holiday is totally unsuited for the modern feminist world. Perhaps it should be axed!