Peter Caty/The Mirror

Thanksgiving break usually comes at the perfect time; everyone needs a break. After making it through the most stressful part of the semester, we get a couple days to veg out and stuff our faces with mom’s cooking before coming back to bad food and finals. Besides needing a break from school, it’s a good time to take a break from each other (and the bartenders at The Grape. When Carlos can identify you and your housemates by name it’s time to relax for awhile).

It’s also a great time to catch up with your friends from home, especially the night before Thanksgiving. Going out that night, one of the biggest party nights of the year, is basically a guarantee that you’re going to run into everyone from your past — especially those people you really don’t want to see, like that high school ex. And, it’s been pointed out to me that most freshman relationships from home end over Thanksgiving break – sorry guys.

Thanksgiving was one of the best ideas the pilgrims ever had. Thanksgiving dinner is a time to blow the diet.  Everyone should be as smart as Joey from Friends and buy maternity pants for the occasion.  It’s also a perfectly acceptable occasion to get swasted with the family. (I’m looking forward to getting drunk with my dad and seeing if the party hat comes out.)

At my family’s Thanksgiving, I will always be a permanent fixture at the kid’s table. I’m the youngest, besides the 6 year old. Luckily my sister and cousins are not too much older, so the dinner time conversation is always full of good stories from the night before (If we’re all not too hungover to talk that much).

Unfortunately, I also am usually on babysitting/entertainment duty. I love my 6-year-old cousin — but his favorite games include “throw the basketball at Allyson’s head” and “hit Allyson with the bat”. (I know those of you with younger cousins can sympathize.) I tried to pretend I was taking an after-dinner nap once, but that just led to the discovery of his new favorite game: smother Allyson with the pillow.

All the eating can cause a food hangover the next day; but stay strong, Black Friday bargains are too good to miss. You still have the weekend to sleep it off, so go wild – hit the outlets and do some Christmas shopping. After Thanksgiving it’s a whirlwind until Christmas. My family puts the tree up the Saturday after Thanksgiving so that my sister and I can fight over the Barbie ornaments (yes, I’m 21 and she’s 27, but everyone is  allowed to act like a 5 year old at the holidays).