Thanksgiving is a time to gather with loved ones, share a meal,

and appreciate the good things in life. Yet, let’s be honest—family

holidays often come with their share of surprises. From weird surprises

to chaotic mishaps, these true stories capture the unpredictable side of

Thanksgiving that turns a simple dinner into a memorable yet disastrous spectacle.

My grandparents got a new oven, and my grandmother had never cooked a turkey in it before.

The turkey drippings somehow caught fire, and the kitchen filled with smoke.

We called 911, but by the time the fire department arrived, my dad and grandfather

had already put out the fire.When the firemen arrived, there was no fire left.

They were nice and understanding. My grandmother was mortified. My aunt tried hitting

on all the firemen, even though she was a good 25–30 years older than them. My cousin

and I just stood in the front yard in silence, watching it all unfold.My dad had an allergic

reaction to a shrimp cocktail before dinner, and his face swelled up. He refused to come out

of the kitchen or sit at the table with us. He was just eating his food in the kitchen

and trying to act like everything was normal, yelling out things like,

“Hey, good mashed potatoes this year, huh?”Meanwhile, my mom was anger-

crying at the table, telling us to just eat the food she worked on all day.

All of us kids were very scared and confused. My sister started crying because

everything was so weird, and no one wanted to eat because of the tension.

Eventually, my mom convinced my dad that she needed to take him to the ER.