Ask @DadandBuried: I’m Excited to Host for the Holidays. Am I Crazy?

Mike Julianelle, the Brooklyn dad behind the popular Dad and Buried blog and social accounts, shares his take on hosting holidays and why it’s okay to be excited for the holiday stress this year.

Last year, we skipped our traditional family Thanksgiving because of COVID. But my family is vaccinated, and it’s been a long time since we’ve all been together, and I’m excited to host. Am I crazy? —Johnny, Bay Ridge

Last fall, I fielded a question about dealing with family members’ opposing political views at Thanksgiving.

I’m not exactly an optimist, (I’m not sure even optimists were optimistic about much in 2020), but in my response to Marielle from White Plains, I was able to find the silver lining in COVID-19. It basically boiled down to “don’t invite anyone to your house in the middle of a freaking pandemic!”

COVID was the perfect excuse to avoid obnoxious Uncle Rufus!

It seems crazy to refer to last Thanksgiving as “peaceful,” given the tumult at the time, but if you were cautious, shared your turkey with your inner circle, and only dealt with your in-laws online, it probably was.

A year later, things are improving (knock on wood). Numbers are going down, many of us are vaccinated, and suddenly hosting a big, traditional Thanksgiving dinner seems a little less scary. For better and worse.