Here in the United States, November is the beginning of the eating season.
The consuming of a variety of delicious foods begins in full,
until one is almost tempted to moderate their intake of food.
This slight temptation of moderation is almost always ignored.
The desire to continue to gorge oneself is followed in the spirit of good companionship and custom.
Technically the eating begins October 31st.
This is when the large quantities of Halloween candy become available.
Having your own children to go trick or treating brings a large supply of candy into your home.
Now it’s a parent’s duty to make sure children don’t overdo the consumption of candy.
So in the interest of tooth cavity prevention, or not spoiling their appetites for dinner, or
just insuring they don’t eat too much sugar, a parent has no choice but to eat much of this bounty.
You can’t be wasteful. It would be wrong to just throw it out.
And as I learned as a child “There are starving children in the world who would be glad to eat what you have.”
So in the interest of solving world hunger. You must eat the candy. Especially the chocolate.
If you don’t have kids you still have a large supply of candy that you bought to give out to the trick or treaters.
Even though there hasn’t been more than a half dozen kids come to your door on Halloween since 1978, you buy a large supply of your favorite treat in case there was a secret baby boom in your neighborhood.
In the ensuing days at many workplaces there are bowls of candy brought in by fellow co-workers who desire to get rid of it so they don’t overindulge.
Of course you must help them out.
These extra supplies along with your own, help you survive to the big event.
The Super Bowl of eating,
Thanksgiving Dinner.
This is the big one. The grandaddy meal of the year. One is expected to over indulge at this meal.
It’s a tradition. It’s almost a competition to see who can eat more. The gluttons favorite holiday.
If you are real lucky, you may have to visit in-laws and parents on Thanksgiving.
Each relation outdoing the other in the extravagance of the meal.
This is an evening worth training for. One must not disappoint friends and family.
A good size portion of every dish must be consumed to make your host or hostess feel they are appreciated.
The most amazing thing about the Thanksgiving event, is several hours after eating to the point of feeling you may explode, you’re ready to break out the leftovers for another round.
Now the festivities really pick up.
At schools, in the office, in every institution you can think of, even on battlefields,
holiday parties kick into full gear.
There is food brought in from home. There is food made for parties.
Special food is prepared at restaurants and grocery stores. Pies, cakes, confections of every kind.
Food is everywhere. And so are you. Dutifully sampling and enjoying all of it.
All this overeating is paying off.
Your stomach has stretched and expanded allowing you to consume larger and larger quantities of food.
And just in time too. For now it’s time for the big holiday meal.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, or Festivus or any other holiday, there is usually a big meal involved.
It’s a sequel to the Thanksgiving meal.
Sequels sometimes can be better than the original. But even if it’s not, it’s still going to be a whale of a meal.
Things begin to wind down slightly at this point. There are still plenty of leftover holiday cakes and pies.
Health clubs begin to run advertisements for all the new years resolutions that people will soon be making.
But before vowing to exercise and eat less there is one more dining extravaganza.
New Years Eve and Day.
Many people choose to end the old year and start the new one by eating and drinking to excess.
In large areas of the northern hemisphere it is customary to ring in the new year with a large meal of pork and sauerkraut.
The pork can also be substituted with kielbasa or if you are so inclined hot dogs. Kosher is available.
Nothing is a more memorable way to start the new year than to have the joyous feeling of gaseous sauerkraut bloat.
So concludes another successful eating season.
Oh there will be little events to remind you of the yearly overindulgence.
Birthday parties, weddings, Valentines Day, Easter, various summer events,
but nothing is quite as momentous as the two months that conclude the year.
So here is to a great eating season.
And may you enjoy preparing for another year.
Tom Balistreri
