VEGNEWS.COM^ VegNews 85
very defensive of his bacon, even though
later he will bring up how he was just
diagnosed with some heart ailment and
doesn’t know what to do about it.
HOW TO RESPOND: You are allowed
to correct his pronunciation just one
time; after that, let it go and laugh
about it later. And if he wants to be
defensive of his meat, let him; the
dinner table is not the place to confront
it, and certainly not with your partner’s
family. If pressed about your veganism,
respond by saying, “This kind of eating
really works for me.” End of story.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Your partner’s
parents might be convinced that the
only thing you and her daughter have in
common is that you both “eat the same
way,” and might therefore undervalue
the many depths of your powerful
connection.
HOW TO RESPOND: It’s not really
your business or problem if they are
judgmental about your relationship,
but obviously it can be hurtful anyway.
Bring up your shared interests
beyond food, too, such as your love
of Broadway or your shared goal of
one day opening an animal sanctuary
in Wales (leave out how you both
fancy kink and have an entire drawer
dedicated to pleather).
WHAT TO EXPECT: Someone at the
table will try the amazing vegan food
you brought and will make a snide
comment about how it’s good but “not
the same” as the meat version they’re
used to.
HOW TO RESPOND: Don’t.
ALL THE HOLIDAYS
The thing is though, the holidays
actually kind of start with Halloween.
For some, mingling with your
partner’s family can begin as early as
October. Don’t faint, but you might
not be looking at just one day of
navigating through these complex
relationships; you might be looking
at a whole damn season of it! If that’s
the case for you, maintain a sense
of humor, order bulk containers of
vegan CBD gummy bears, and follow
this sage advice.
HALLOWEEN
If this spooky day winds up being the
one where you spend time with some
of your partner’s youngest family
members, do everything you can to
make them think you’re cool (this
means slipping them entire chocolate
bars instead of just the bite-sized ones).THANKSGIVING
Be sure you say out loud—in front of
everyone at the table—how grateful you
are for your partner; her family will like
you immediately. Bonus: when you get
home, sponsor a rescued turkey from
Farm Sanctuary to commemorate the
hours you spent with your partner’s
meat-eating loved ones today.HANUKKAH
It’s the Festival of Lights, an incredibly
joyous holiday. Offer to make your
partner’s loved ones the best potato
latkes they’ve ever had, and then
deliver on that promise: use Isa Chandra
Moskowitz’s tried-and-true recipe from
The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday
Cookbook, and they’ll simply plotz.CHRISTMAS
If there are kids involved, stuff their
stockings with fun vegan offerings
including Unicorn Snot lip gloss (from
FCTRY), a pumpkin spice popcorn
ball (from Curious Confectionery), or a
cruelty-free snowman bath bomb (from
LUSH). As for your partner’s parents, a
wintry-scented soy candle or a gift card
for a massage will surely go over well.NEW YEAR’S DAY
It’s customary to eat black-eyed peas on
January 1 for good luck, so invite your
darling’s family over for breakfast and
serve them Vegan Richa’s Black-Eyed
Pea and Sweet Potato Hash. Don’t push
this, but if any of her family members
overtly express interest in trying out
veganism for January, offer to be
available for any questions that may
arise. Then, later, do a happy dance.Jasmin Singer (jasminsinger.com)
is VegNews’Senior Online Features Editor,
the author of Always Too Much and
Never Enough, and the cohost of the
Our Hen House podcast.Edward & Sons Trading Co., Inc.
Convenience Without Compromise®
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