Dear Reverend, My wife and I have a really big extended family. We also have the biggest house, so we always host Thanksgiving. Our guests are a wide range in age and political views. I'm used to it getting rather rambunctious, but I'm worried there may be arguments about politics this year. Is there any way we can avoid that graciously? Tom Turkey ,Dear Tom Turkey, I'm of the view that when people come to your house, they have to play by your rules. You just need to set those rules ahead of time — especially if you don't want political debates breaking out over the green bean casserole. Send a note to all of your guests letting them know that there will be lots of delicious food on the table but politics is off it for the day. You can keep it lighthearted and still get the point across. For a day-of reminder, hang a sign in your entryway that says something along the lines of: "Please check your politics at the door." I once hosted a wake at my home and made a rule that if anybody cried, they had to run around the house twice. I didn't actually have to enforce the rule, but it was a great way to lighten the mood when somebody started to get misty-eyed. You could borrow that idea and tell your guests that anyone who brings up the election has to walk around the house twice with a serving spoon full of peas and not drop any. It may sound silly, but I'm tellin' ya — it works. It would be wise to have some things at the ready to keep people occupied: board games, cards, old family albums — anything that fosters friendly interactions. Have a few conversation starters in your back pocket in case you need them. Nudge people to say what they're thankful for or ask them to tell their favorite goofy family story. Hopefully, your fam will be too busy eating, drinking and being merry to be concerned with current affairs. But with a little forethought, you should be able to shoo off any showdowns. Good luck and God bless, The Reverend…