Food, food, food.

Stuffing is said to be Americans’ favorite dish of the Thanksgiving meal. It has been around in one form or another since Roman times, and there are as many versions in America as there are regions. From oyster to Southern cornbread to traditional sage to Hillary Clinton’s favorite “Pepperidge Farm white bread stuffing,” the only thing that’s changed about this dish is the fact that most Americans don’t actually use it to stuff the bird anymore due to the public health warnings about bacteria growing in the cavity. It’s too bad. Stuffing in the bird, soaking up all the juices, tastes really great. And yes, some people call it dressing instead of stuffing. They are probably from the South or from England, which changed the name to dressing during the Victorian era because the word stuffing was considered vulgar. (Expressing what type of meat you preferred must have made Thanksgiving a terrible trial for English visitors at the time. “I’d prefer a limb, thank you.”)

Virtually everyone serves mashed potatoes and gravy. These need no explanation. There was a time when this dish was served pretty much nightly on American dinner tables. There’s nothing particularly special about it except that it’s a delicious, perfect amalgamation of salt, fat and starch. Even the healthiest eater in your family can be seen sneaking spoonfuls of it directly from the leftover plate in the fridge. At 2 in the morning. Cold.

And then there is the traditional relish tray featuring celery and olives. What? You don’t serve a traditional olive and celery tray? Well, at one time it was considered the most special part of the meal. In fact, it was a delicacy from the 1700s all the way up until the 1970s. I know. Go figure.