As I am writing this on November 26, 2023, the country is celebrating a new holiday. Today is National Leftovers Day. Obviously, the first Sunday after Thanksgiving is the natural time for this well-deserved observance to be held. “Leftovers” is a treasured concept in American life, and for much too long we have denied its importance. Now is the time to formally celebrate by bringing it out of the closet and into the light. If you were born before 1974, there is no doubt that your family probably considered leftovers as decadent and sinful and shamed you into eating everything on your plate. “Now, Bobby, there are eight peas and a piece of liver left on your plate, and Santa does not let little boys who waste food ride new bicycles.” “Susie, are you going to leave all that food on your plate while there are little boys and girls in China who have nothing to eat?” Those days are all over now, thanks to the enlightenment and rebellion of the disco age. That’s right, the “Bobbys and Susies” of America grew up, got married and now do not demand that their kids clean their plates at every meal. Today, leftovers are no longer frowned upon, and actually, the popularity seems to be spreading. However, experts caution that moderation must be used in celebrating leftovers because that trend could be really dangerous. For example, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are two of the most unappetizing leftovers in recorded history, but they are both hoping you will want to have one of them for President next year. Just as dangerous is the fact that nowadays, millions and millions of Americans are watching television shows based on glorifying leftovers; leftover houses, leftover music, leftover fashions, and leftover romances. Very scary! They call it makeovers, but really, it’s just leftovers.
So, what is really so bad about National Leftovers Day you might ask? Well, nothing, I guess, except like that wonderful food we enjoyed on Thanksgiving Day, most things that are leftover can only be pulled out and warmed up just so many times before they lose their appeal. So, I think it’s better for us to just keep everything fresh and not worry too much about hanging on to the outdated things that have gone beyond their expiration date. And if you’re wondering what happened to those little boys and girls in China who had nothing to eat, don’t worry too much about them; they’re making everything we spend money on from computers to refrigerators. In other words, they’re eating everything they want now, including our lunch.
