When most people think of Thanksgiving they probably picture eating turkey, but for vegetarians the meal would look quite different.

In today’s story, a vegetarian brother and his vegan girlfriend refuse to attend Thanksgiving dinner if there’s turkey, but his sister is making dinner and really wants turkey.

Let’s see how the story unfolds…

AITA for refusing to cook a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner?

I feel like I’ve slipped into the twilight zone with this whole argument, so tell me what’s up, internet folks.

Background: I (31F) and my brother Mark (35M) do not get along.

When he was a teen he saw a documentary on factory farming and decided to become a vegetarian.

He got very, very annoying about it quickly, but my dad shut him down when he started trying to get the rest of us to be vegetarian with him.

Then he went to college, made a bunch of very strange friends, and went militantly vegan. It’s his entire personality.

Mark is dating a vegan influencer.

I stopped talking to him after he threw a fit about one of my birthday dinners being at a steakhouse and spammed my messages and SM with pictures of abused cows.

My parents have been trying to repair the situation and for a while, it did seem like Mark was getting better so I’ve been letting him back into contact gradually.

Then he started dating Pam, who is some kind of vegan influencer. She is apparently moderately popular online, but I have no idea what she does exactly.

They had a vegetarian Thanksgiving.

I don’t know if Mark was trying to impress her or what, but last Thanksgiving he insisted that mom cook at least a vegetarian meal or they wouldn’t come on “ethical grounds”.

My mom just wanted everyone to get along on her favorite holiday, so she agreed.

It was not a fun meal.

OP is making Thanksgiving dinner this year.

This year, my parents have downsized for retirement and my mom is having health problems.

I bought their house when they moved, so my mom asked me to host Thanksgiving so it would be like usual.

I told everyone in the group chat so Mark and Pam could make travel arrangements, and Pam immediately started gushing about all the vegan replacement recipes she could give me to replace the traditional ones.

I said to send me a main dish recipe they like and I would give it a shot, but I’m making the traditional meal otherwise and there should still be plenty of things they can eat.

OP’s mom wants her to make a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal.

Mark and Pam have been arguing about this with me for days, and then Mark said that if I wouldn’t make a meat-free meal they wouldn’t come.

This upset my mom, who asked me to just make what she made last year to keep the peace.

I told her that Mark needs to get over himself and I’m not coddling him.

I’m having turkey on Thanksgiving.

OP wants her mom to be happy but also wants turkey.

My dad privately agrees with me, but Mark threatening to not come is upsetting my mom so much that he’s worried it will impact her health.

There’s a not big, but also not zero chance that these might be some of the last family holidays we have with her.

My mom thinks I’m putting turkey over my own family, and I’m not so sure anymore.

AITA?

I can understand wanting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It’s too bad Mark and Pam aren’t willing to come if OP makes turkey.

Let’s see how Reddit responded…

This reader points out that Mark is the selfish one.

Another reader shares how her vegan aunt handled family meals.

This person shared what they do when they have vegans over for dinner.

This reader’s sister might’ve seen the same documentary.

Another reader thinks Mark and Pam don’t realize how they’re treating non-vegans.

It’s just not Thanksgiving without turkey.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.