For today's Burning Question of the Day, I'm curious how those of you that are married or in serious relationships split holidays.
Do you alternate years between your family and your husband's family? Do you try to see both sides of the family on the "big day"? Do you only live close enough to one side of the family to see them? Do you host and have everyone come to you?
Monday, October 25, 2010
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We have a crazy hectic holiday schedule. On Thanksgivings we do both families. We go to one for dinner and the other for dessert.
ReplyDeleteThis year for christmas I am putting my foot down and not going to jump to 4 houses. I am hosting christmas eve and inviting both sets of parents. that will elimnate 2 houses we have to go to on christmas day
We split. All holidays and all days are divided between each side and each family. So, for now, while we can - we drive everywhere.
ReplyDeleteUsually we do his family one day, and mine the other, so whatever is happening is happening on that day. Soon enough we will just host and invite others over, knowing you can't drag kids around to 4 places in 2 days with any success.
Ugh. I'm a product of divorce so there's all that to deal with, too. fun. Years past (been with DH for nearly 11 years) we'd do Thanksgiving with his folks and then sometimes my dad, Xmas Eve at my grandmother's (mom's side), Xmas day with his folks then over to my dad's. This year Thanksgiving and Xmas day is at our house- who wants to come can come. Period, end of story.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, we almost always went and saw my dad's side of the family for the holidays. My mom is from North Dakota and apparently the 15-16 hour car ride with 3 kids was never all that appealing.
ReplyDeleteMy husbands family sort of celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas on Thanksgiving, so that no one feels too obligated to spend both holidays together. So we spend Thanksgiving with his family, and Christmas with my family in Nebraska. Now that there is a baby involved, my parents are considering hosting Christmas for just our small immediate family in Kansas, but we aren't quite ready to give up the Christmas holiday with the big group. Maybe when there are a few more babies.
Wow, sorry for the novel :o).
thankfully, we live close enough to both sides of our families that we can see all of them!
ReplyDeletewe usually spend Christmas Eve day at my dad's house with his side of the family, and then spend the evening of Christmas Eve with my mom's side. Christmas morning, we rotate which family's house we go to first. this year, we'll be going to his parent's house to open gifts, and then to my dad's.
it's a struggle sometimes, but I actually love the hustle and bustle of seeing everyone within the two day period!
The last two years we've been married, we hosted Christmas at our house. I have brothers, nieces and a nephew, so my parents and all of them came over. On my husband's side, it's just his dad, his brother and his niece, so they stop over for a little, too.
ReplyDeleteBoth of our parents live within 45 minutes of us. (Though, in different directions.) We're lucky since Matt is an only child and his parents are very flexible. My family is huge so his mom graciously works around their schedule. But if our families were further apart or hosting things at the same time, I think we'd just switch off every year.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, since my parents were divorced, we already didn't celebrate ON the actual holidays. We're only 2 hours away from my parents so they get us the day before or weekend after and his parents get us on the day of. It's lots of driving though!
ReplyDeletewe are lucky to have all our family in the same city so we just travel to our hometown and split the day between the two.
ReplyDeleteWe live in the same town as both of our families, and before we had Eli, we split Christmas. We usually have Thanksgiving with my In-laws... my folks are always away at a horse show on Thanksgiving (which I went to as a kid), so we don't feel obligated to travel to join them. We used to do Christmas Eve & morning at my In-laws, then traveled to Orlando to join my parents at my grandparent's house for Christmas dinner.
ReplyDeleteThis year, since baby Eli is with us, we have decided to stay home for Christmas. Christmas Eve dinner will be at my In-laws, as usual. Christmas morning will be at our house. Both sets of parents will come over, and then my parents will go to my grandparent's in the afternoon.
What do YOU do for the holidays?
Ugh, I hate splitting holidays. Truthfully, I just want to spend all holidays at my parents house and not have to go to the in-laws. Obviously that's not fair.
ReplyDeleteOur situation is different though in that sometimes my husband has to work on holidays and if he does I go to my parents house. But that sucks because then he misses out on the holidays.
If he is off we usually spend Christmas at my parents and then go to his parents the next. Lest our entire holiday be spent in the car, which is no fun for anyone!
We spend Thanksgiving with my family every year. When Chad and I first started dating, I told him he was welcome to come with me for Thanksgiving or stay with his family, but to know that I would never spend a Thanksgiving with anyone other than my family because no one (and I mean no one) beats my Grandma's cooking. After coming with me the first year, he was a convert as well. :)
ReplyDeleteChad's immediate family does Christmas a weekend early and his extended family does Christmas on Christmas Eve and then we spend the actual day of with my family. We got incredibly lucky that everyone celebrates on a different day!
My husband's family lives overseas, so we've never spent a holiday with them. We are planning to have Christmas 2011 with them.
ReplyDeleteWe try to split our time as much as possible but we live 13 hours from my family and only 1 hour from his. So, we typically spend every Thanksgiving and Easter with his family and every other Christmas. We then spend the other Christmas' with mine - its getting tiresome though. I'd really like to spend Christmas at our own home this year - but we'd probably be alone...
ReplyDeleteWe spend Christmas Eve with my family. Christmas day with is. I agreed to this until our children (first on the way) understand Christmas and then I would like to have our Christmas before going to his mom's. We don't usually see my dad. We do spend every Thanksgiving with my family.
ReplyDeleteIs it sad that I dread the holidays for this very thing? We alternate Thanksgiving with my parents and Brandon's family as best as we can, because he has two sides to go to plus 2 family reunions. You read that right. Last year? 5 Thanksgivings. I had a fit.
ReplyDeleteWe are changing up Christmas this year because of Brayden. I want to have our own traditions and not be rushing out of the house to make it to see everyone on that day.
The last few years we have alternated holidays. This is the first year we are just staying home. It will be just the two of us.
ReplyDelete