Should I Hide My Piercings This Thanksgiving? A Guide to Avoiding Family Drama - FreshTrends Blog

Some people are lucky enough to get along perfectly with their extended families. They all think similarly, believe the same things, follow similar political views, and there aren’t many topics that they have to avoid at the Thanksgiving table.

The majority, however, likely have a bone to pick with at least one extended family member.

No matter how much you love your family and enjoy seeing them over the holidays, you probably don’t see eye-to-eye on everything. You’ll try hard to avoid topics like politics or religion at the dinner table, but no matter how much effort you put into keeping the peace, taboo subjects have a habit of emerging. It’s amazing how, after a couple of glasses of wine, a happy family dinner straight from a Norman Rockwell painting turns into something reminiscent of a scene from Game of Thrones.

While politics and religion are well-known conversation no-nos at the dinner table, your alternative fashion choices might also fall under the banned-at-Thanksgiving category. Maybe you have some conservative older relatives. Perhaps your family’s religion doesn’t agree with piercings. Whatever the case, you have family members who don’t approve of your piercings, and you’re wondering whether to hide your body jewelry or not.

The decision to hide your piercings in favor of a non-controversial Thanksgiving Day will ultimately be up to you and whatever drama you want to deal with. If you’re having a difficult time deciding whether to hide your piercings or flaunt them, here are some things to consider.

Why are your family members against piercings?

The level of your family’s distaste toward your piercings will depend upon the reasons why they’re against them.

If they don’t like piercings for personal reasons or because they have more conservative views on how one should dress, your piercings will likely receive some teasing and maybe a lecture or two on how you’re presenting yourself. But, you’ll probably avoid any bad blood.

If your family holds religious qualms against piercings, you might be opening a Pandora’s box if you show up to Thanksgiving with body jewelry. Your family members may be more passionate about the subject, and it’s possible that they could take it upon themselves to talk to you about their beliefs. 

When considering whether or not you should wear your body jewelry, think about how much your family members are against them and whether or not you want to spend the entire evening talking to your Great Aunt June about their evils.

Are you ready for a debate?

If your family members are staunchly against piercings, they could take your septum piercing as an opportunity to get on their soapbox and lecture about their feelings about body piercings. You can either sit there and take it or get into an argument.

Are you ready for a lecture, or would you rather keep the peace?

If you’re confident and ready for a debate, go for it! Sometimes, conversation can be the best way to see each other’s sides, and your piercing can become a positive opportunity to talk about alternative cultures and open your family members’ minds about lifestyles other than their own.

Some people like to keep the peace, and that’s okay, too. If you’re the type who doesn’t like to rock the boat and step on any toes, then why present the opportunity with your body piercings? Avoid the topic altogether and invest in some piercing retainers.

Is the drama worth it?

You’re the type who happily jumps into any debate and confidently defends yourself. You’re open to conversations about your piercings, even with people who strongly disagree with them. You might even look forward to Thanksgiving as a chance to talk with your more conservative family members about alternative lifestyles.

But, this might be the one time per year that your entire family can get together. Maybe your mother has been looking forward to this day for months, and she has no idea that a family debate is on the way. Perhaps your grandparents are getting older, and each holiday with them is precious.

Are you okay with spending your holiday arguing, or would you rather avoid the discussion?

If you know that your piercings will cause some drama in the family, think about whether or not it’s something that should be brought to the table. You might be okay with stirring the pot a little bit, but you don’t know if this holiday holds significance for someone else. If you know that Thanksgiving is important to another member of your family, maybe you should choose another time to reveal your piercings and trigger some lively discussion.

When it comes down to it, your piercings are meant to show off your individuality, and you should be unapologetic about that. However, there is a time and a place to stir controversy, and sometimes, the Thanksgiving table isn’t the best place to do that. If you have more conservative family members who will hate your piercings, think about whether you’re ready for some debates, if the drama is worth it, and how much your family members will be against your piercings, and decide from there whether you’re willing to face the consequences.

A simple solution: Choose high-class jewelry to wear

If your family is against piercings because of some of the negative stigmas still surrounding body piercings, then we have a simple solution for you: show them that piercings can be classy with high-quality, gorgeous jewelry options.

Here are some beautiful jewelry choices that even some of your most conservative family members can love.

FT Admin