So let's get this straight --
The faculty was given to Catholic Bishops to dispense from abstinence on civic holidays. Others insist that a further dispensation was in fact given for certain dioceses where poor Catholics without refrigeration lived. Would this apply to us today? Do the Trad bishops we follow take advantage of this dispensation and apply it to us?
But in general, how does this "Turkey Indult" apply to us in the current year?
Thanksgiving is on Thursday, not Friday. So there's no conflict with celebrating the civic holiday. As for the leftovers, that has been a moot point for about 70+ years. Everyone, even the poorest Americans on welfare, have
at least one refrigerator. Keeping leftovers preserved for 2 days is easy even in the refrigerator -- freezing or processing the turkey into pies isn't necessary. We're talking about 2 days, not 2 weeks! Saturday isn't that far away. Your leftovers will be fine.
And just like we tell all our Novus Ordo friends, even if we did take advantage of something like this, it doesn't mean we're off the hook for Friday abstinence! We have to get out our checkbook or wallet and give an alms, or do some EXTRA work of penance to make up for the sacrifice we aren't making that day.
I think it's easier to just give up the meat, and this is coming from someone for whom Fridays are very hard. I usually eat meat at every single meal, including breakfast, snacks, and right before bed. My side dishes usually have meat, and even my meat has meat on it.
To get any more meat in my diet, I'd have to start using frozen chunks of meat in my iced tea.
Let's just say I could never be a vegan. In fact, vegans have put out a bounty on my head.