4 Taboo Topics No One Should Mention At Thanksgiving — And Exactly What To Say When It Happens Anyway

"Knowing how to gracefully listen and then change the topic if the conversation gets too heated is an art form."

When it comes to gathering around the Thanksgiving dinner table, most people think about seating arrangements and the turkey. But what about the conversation?

Though discussions about gratitude are often encouraged, there are certain topics that should be left off the table, according to etiquette experts.

To help keep things light and polite, we asked three etiquette coaches to weigh in on the conversations you should avoid during Thanksgiving, and what to say if those topics do come up.

As one etiquette coach, Diane Gottsman, put it: “Just like we have to balance sharing too much information on social media, the same rule applies at the Thanksgiving table where families are all together. You may not have seen them in several years and they don’t need to know every detail of your recent (nasty) divorce or how you just passed a gallstone.”

1. Politics