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“And he himself carved the roast beef”
Although none of us live in a microscopic, snowflake world, we can all learn a little something from the Who’s of Who-ville. You know, the characters of that one movie about that green guy that steals everyone’s gifts with the help of his adorable dog, Max.
I know you’ve read the book, or have seen the movie (and if you haven’t, you can probably catch it on TV sometime in the next couple of days). The Who’s of Who-ville LOVE Christmas, with their singing, decorating, and all-around holiday spirit. Then of course there’s The Grinch, a cynical character that tends to rub people the wrong way with his tendencies to be, well…a jerk. The Grinch decides to ruin Christmas once and for all by posing as Santa Clause and stealing everyone’s gifts.
It seemed for a moment that he succeeded, but then the small, snowflake town is reminded by little Cindy Lou that Christmas isn’t about decorating and gifts, it’s about celebrating the true reason of the holiday season with family and friends.
So now you may ask, What does this have to do with my gluten-free diet? Let me explain…
Many of the things we associate with the holidays are related to food. Some of these holiday-esque dishes are only enjoyed once a year, and are specially made by family members (i.e. my Grandma’s ‘famous’ meatballs). You look forward to that one day of the year when you pig out on all of your favorites. So what happens if you are unable to enjoy this food now? What will you do at the holiday party? Everyone’s going to be eating around you, and there you’ll sit, with a plate full of vegetables. Where’s the fun in that?
The above paragraph describes the mentality that a Gluten-Free Grinch would have. They’d focus more on the food they can’t eat than the family and friends they are able to spend time with. They wouldn’t look forward to the conversations and memories to be made, but would rather dwell on the fact that they can’t eat everything on the buffet.
My advice to you is to remember the true meaning of Christmas. It’s not about the meatballs, cheesy potatoes, cookies, and other gluten-infused dishes. When those things are ‘stolen’ from you, don’t let it ruin the holiday. Enjoy the things you CAN have. Alter dishes to be gluten-free. Educate your family members and friends of this new journey you’re on. Laugh and be merry.
Just like Christmas isn’t just about gifts, it isn’t about food either.
Take a page from Cindy Lou’s playbook. Enjoy this season. Spread the cheer. Sing it loud for all to hear!
Author Information: Laura Hanley
Laura Hanley, known as G-Free Laura, has been gluten-free since 2009 and reviews products,
restaurants, and writes aboutgluten-free experiences on her blog, www.gfreelaura.com.Laura’s passion for spreading g-free love has led her to become a Guest Blogger for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, writing bi-weekly reviews on the Gluten-Free Hot Products Blog. Visit Laura onFacebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, and Google +
Hi,
I’ve been on a gluten free diet for five years now. And I still love christmas. I dont dread the “gluten-infested food” because either myself or my mum will make almost everything gluten free, and the things that aren’t I wouldnt eat even if I wasn’t a coeliac. So maybe those of you who do dread it should think of the alternative gluten free things we can have at christmas, instead of being a grinch. So being a coeliac doesnt mean we cant enjoy every part of christmas at all. It just means we have to be a little more creative.
Alex