I told my mom I was NOT going to go to family Thanksgiving this year. I didn't go last year, and this week she asked me if I was planning to come this year, and I said no. She was upset and asked me to reconsider, but I was firm, and she didn't press the point--she knows I would just dig in further.
Last year she told people I was sick. She was like, "Well, what should I tell people this year? I already used 'sick' once," and I was like, "I don't care, tell them whatever you want, whatever works best for you." Really, it's whatever will make things the easiest for her, and get her the least blowback from people like my grandma. I couldn't care less what they think, but my mom has to be more politic about it.
Then she says, "Maybe I'll tell them you have a boyfriend, and you're spending Thanksgiving with his family!" I just laughed. I have no idea if she's serious or not. I'm sure she hadn't really thought it through, because that would be a terrible thing to tell people. This would be MAJOR news within the family, they would all remember it, and they would all continually pester my mom about who this guy was and when were we getting married and all that. I told her I didn't care, but I wasn't going to keep up with anything elaborate.
Of course, later I wished I'd thought to say, "Why not have some fun with it, and tell them it's a girlfriend?" Because a number of my relatives would NOT like that, and it would have been amusing to hear how they tried to cover it up and be polite (or not).
Obviously I do not have the right attitude to be attending family holiday gatherings, if I just want to mess with people! I'll probably have to go for Christmas, though, more for logistics reasons, as I'll be staying with my parents anyway, and I don't want to be left alone in their house all day (scary old house in the middle of the country).