Every year the week before Christmas (Dec 18th through Dec 24th) is gluten-free baking week. The purpose of this observance is to bring awareness, which I believe is important for many reasons.
I was misdiagnosed (as most people with gluten/wheat sensitivities or celiac disease are) because they didn’t have the modern testing available that we have today. I went 10-years learning and struggling to live a gluten-free life before celebrities, like Miley Cyrus, made it popular (which I’m thankful happened for the sake of product knowledge and availability now). It was a difficult road before since nothing was mainstream – hell, nothing was even marked on the packages at that time. I had to contact all the manufacturers to learn which products were safe. I broke down into tears many time at the grocery store.
Take time today (and this week), as you prepare for the holiday meals, to consider the limitations of some of the people around you. You might be surprised who may be affected by some dietary restrictions. More so, you might be pleasantly surprised by how you can easily help to make their holidays more enjoyable.