Thanksgiving is the great American holiday. It’s a non-stop, fun-filled day chock full of food, family, and football. It’s hard to say which facet of the holiday is most over-abundant. In food’s corner, gorge yourself on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and don’t forget the pumpkin, peach, or pecan pie! As for family, there’s your parents, children, siblings, nieces, nephews, partners, cousins, and… who is that? Anyway, it’s Thanksgiving and all are welcome. Football though? Well, there are three whole games starting around noon and ending close to midnight (ET). For the football fan, this is more than the cherry on top of the wonderful Thanksgiving festivities, it’s an integral part of the day. For everyone else, it can be a source of friction that rivals what Aunt Theresa said to Aunt Tilly or whether stuffing should be cooked inside or outside the turkey.

Finally there’s a way to prevent the awkwardness of Thanksgiving football — to include everyone in the family. We’re offering a free copy of Dear Sports Fan’s Football for the Curious with special bonus Thanksgiving 2014 content! The guide covers the basics of why people like football, how football works, and how to enjoy football. Culled from dozens of blog entries and edited for the purpose of making football accessible to everyone, this guide is the best of Dear Sports Fan.

If you’re a sports fan who wants their family to understand why you’re sneaking off to the den throughout the day, give this guide as a gift to your family members. If you’re one of the many sports-curious people who will be sharing Thanksgiving with football fans, read up and surprise them this year with your knowledge!