Entertainment
If you think about it, Thanksgiving is exactly like The Hunger Games in a lot of ways. Seriously—hear me out. The story of Katniss, Peeta, and their experiences in a dystopian world bear some pretty striking similarities to the holiday, ones which seem weird until the day approaches and you realize that, oh my god, they are totally comparable, and you’ll be left wondering how you could not have seen it before.
The similarities are impossible to go unnoticed if you’ve seen the movies lately (or— actually read the books, if you are a better person than I am). Thanksgiving dinner is theoretically supposed to be about gathering together and eating cheerfully surrounded by loved ones, but underneath all that goodwill are some competitive vibes that jive very closely to the ones you see Katniss’ story. The feast is captivating as a main event in the way that the games are, and, for your cholesterol levels, kind of deadly if you think about it for over a long period of time (though no one is actually going to die on Thanksgiving. I repeat: no one is going to die.) And that’s just the beginning. Here are seven other ways Thanksgiving dinner and The Hunger Games are exactly alike, challenges and all.
1
Making The Meal Is Like Preparing For The Games
Getting ready for the games is no joke, and neither is getting your house ready for Thanksgiving. Remember those scenes where Katniss has to do all that crazy arrow training? Think of days worth of labor that goes into prepping the turkey, roasting it, getting together all the sides, and setting the table, and suddenly you’re on par.
2
Finding An Adult To Supervise The Kids’ Table Is Like Selecting A Tribute
You can’t have a kids’ table without at least one adult helping out. The question is, who will it be? Who will sacrifice themselves for a portion of the night to wrangle the young ones threatening to throw mashed potatoes at one another? Whichever adult puts themselves forward for the greater good could consider their deed similar to Katniss’ own volunteering as tribute for the games.
3
Serving Dinner Is Like The Competition Itself
On Thanksgiving, people pit themselves against each other to see who can get their hands on the rolls and mashed potatoes first, or get access to that dark meat they’ve been eyeing. The competition might be more subtle than that of The Hunger Games, but, oh, it’s there, and there’s no denying it.
4
Deciding Whether You Want Seconds Is Like Changing The Rules Throughout The Games
The games and Thanksgiving both have a certain leeway for wishy-washiness. To both I say: make up your mind.
5
Accommodating Last-Minute Guests Is Like Bending The Rules
If you’ve ever run out of forks or found out at the last minute that someone is actually vegan this year and figured out a crazy-clever way to adapt the dinner for everyone’s needs, then you can easily compare yourself to Katniss and Peeta during the competition, who figure out a way to bend the rules by attempting to both off themselves with poisonous berries so that no one wins the games.
6
The Person That’s Able to Still Eat Dessert Is Like the Winner Of The Games
The person who will actually have a legitimate slice of pie is most definitely like the last man standing in the games. Bow down.
