

My family was super meat-centric for all holidays except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Any meal where it’s physically possible to barbecue, we would. And a family barbecue meant hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, pork steaks, and beef steaks – one of each per person, plus a couple of extras. Sides were German-style slaw and potato salad. Buns were not included, but my grandma would always put a stack of white bread on the table (she was the only person who ever ate it).
When I started dating my husband and took him to a family holiday, he was shocked by the fact that my whole family was eating hamburgers and hot dogs with flatware instead of on buns. And he was actually sad at the lack of side dishes.
When I went to one of his family barbecues, I was sad that there was just one hamburger per person (already on a soggy bun) and a ton of weird casseroles.
I think that we’d be better off if the dads, uncles, and grandpas who came back and refused to talk about their war experiences had made it clearer to the next generation exactly how horrible it was. It didn’t fly with them because they saw what it brought. It flies with younger people because we were sheltered from the true horrors of the war.
I think a trip to the Holocaust Museum should be required for all high school seniors. If it isn’t closed by the clown show currently running the country, at least.