Food is expensive, but my first thought is that one aunt cooking for twenty people on their own is a shitty model regardless of cost. You were asking your aunt to run a restaurant for an evening. Your aunt probably got too old to do that much work, and the next generation decided that was a bullshit thing to force on a single person.
If it’s a forced thing I agree, but for some of us this is our time to shine. Cooking has been a hobby of mine since I was helping my own aunt with holiday meals as a kid, and I absolutely love making a big meal for a large group. I ended up doing the majority of the cooking for my ex husband’s family holiday celebrations, because I genuinely enjoyed it and liked giving everyone else the time to just be and enjoy the day.
All I’m trying to say is that, for some people, cooking a feast for their loved ones is one of the ways we show love. It’s a tradition that tends to exploit women, but that doesn’t mean the whole thing is trash. We should just be more mindful of how we navigate this holiday. I bet a lot of boys would fall in love with cooking like I did if they were included in the preparations like women are.
my gf told me the thing she most looks forward to after work is cooking meals for me
this is perfect because the thing i look most forward to after work is eating meals she cooked me