I have read plenty of articles recently offering advice on how to handle potential arguments during your family gathering this Thanksgiving brought about by the recent presidential election.

Therapists and others have offered tips on how to defuse an escalating argument over those who supported Hillary Clinton and those who won; I mean those who supported Donald Trump.

And while this might be an issue in many families across the country, in the South, we never let such topics ruin what we consider the most important of eating holidays.

Do tensions exist during large, family gatherings? Sure they do.

We all have that one aunt or uncle, or that one or two cousins, who just cannot seem to go a few hours, much less a few minutes, without saying something less than acceptable.

Our families often have members who love to stir the pot, and not just the wonderful pot of chicken and dumplings grandma whipped up as a pre-Thanksgiving dinner snack.

But in the South, we let those comments roll off our back and usually say “bless their little heart” before saying what we really think of them.

The reason such problems do not exist here in the South is because we leave our deep divisions, our most heated arguments and our family-wrecking issues to after Thanksgiving.

In Alabama, that is why we insisted the Iron Bowl game be held after Thanksgiving and why in Mississippi, such an important issue as the Egg Bowl is left until after the wishbone has been split and the last slice of cornbread consumed.

We have our priorities straight in the South. Why ruin a perfectly cooked pot of collard greens and the well-balanced bucket of sweet tea go to waste over such a little topic of whom the next president is?

I have often told people that when children are born in Alabama, a box selecting Alabama or Auburn must be checked off on the birth certificate before leaving the hospital. In fact, that selection box is located just after the date of birth and just ahead of the boxes for boy and girl. It’s that important.

And now, after living in Mississippi for more than two years, I believe much is the same here in Mississippi. Although, a few more purple and gold bassinets are taken home around here than one might realize.

The next few days are some of my favorite.

We can enjoy time with family, regardless of the party or football affiliation, a few minutes away from work, a great meal and enough football to almost meet the demand.

So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my friends and family, my co-workers, elastic-band pants and charged batteries for the remote.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tim Reeves is publisher of The Vicksburg Post. You may reach him at tim.reeves@vicksburgpost.com.