Thanksgiving at one house for ten years straight might sound like a cozy tradition, but what happens when the hostess needs a break?
For one sister, stepping back from her usual role seemed reasonable, but her older siblings weren’t thrilled with the idea.
Now, with tensions simmering, the question is whether the family tradition is worth the sacrifice—or if it’s time for someone else to set the table.
Check out the details below!
AITA for refusing to do Thanksgiving this year?
I’m 40F, and I have six sisters. My two older sisters are 44 and 47, and my four younger sisters are 38, 36, 34, and 32.
We’ve always been a close-knit family, and for the past decade, I’ve taken on the responsibility of hosting Thanksgiving at my house.
I enjoy having everyone over, but it’s a lot of work, especially since we all have at least 2 kids each (all in the age group 5-15). It’s chaos, but joyful chaos.
My husband helps out, but the majority of the planning, cooking, and organizing falls on me.
This year, I decided I need a break.
It certainly sounds like a lot!
Life has been hectic, and I’m feeling burnt out.
Between work, taking care of my kids (10,11M), and other responsibilities, I’m just not up for the task of hosting a big family gathering.
So, I suggested that one of my sisters take over hosting Thanksgiving this year.
I brought this up in our family group chat, thinking it would be a reasonable request and it’s plenty ahead of time.
However, my two older sisters, Sarah (47) and Emily (44), were not happy with the idea.
Sarah has a busy job and a smaller house, so she feels she can’t accommodate everyone comfortably. Emily argued that she’s been dealing with a lot of stress lately and doesn’t have the energy to host.
Of course not.
They both suggested that since I’ve been doing it for so long, I should just keep the tradition going, especially since my house is the most spacious and I’m the one who “knows how to do it right.”
My younger sisters were more understanding, but they also hesitated to take on the responsibility.
My sister Jessica (38) said she would be willing to help out more with the preparations if I hosted, but she wasn’t confident about hosting the entire event herself.
The other younger sisters offered similar compromises, but no one was willing to take on the full load.
This isn’t going well.
After some back and forth, I stood firm and said I really need someone else to host this year.
I suggested we could even make it a potluck to ease the burden, but Sarah and Emily were still upset.
They accused me of being selfish and abandoning a family tradition that I’ve upheld for years.
They argued that I’m the one with the most experience, and that Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t host.
Now, there’s tension in the family, with my older sisters feeling like I’m letting them down.
Sigh.
I feel like I’ve done my fair share over the years, and it’s not unreasonable to ask for a break.
But at the same time, I understand that my older sisters are also under a lot of pressure, and that hosting Thanksgiving is a big deal for our family.
So, AITA for refusing to host Thanksgiving this year after doing it for the past decade?
The question remains: Is sticking to tradition more important than supporting someone who’s done their time?
It seems like a pretty unanimous NTA situation.
This person says the sisters really have some nerve.
This person think they’re being pretty manipulative.
Ten years of turkey duty.
And apparently asking for a break is just too much to digest.