What do you do for the holidays?

OnionBreath

My parents went to Hawaii because my grandmother wanted to. We couldn't afford to go with the wedding. So we're just stuck with the inlaws, who I am just not getting along with.

I don''t feel in the spirit at all and I hope this isn't a new tradition! They want us to spend every waking moment with them, but I'm hoping maybe for Christmas Day we can jsut be together ourselves.

What are you doing? Do any of you spend it alone?

theartistformerlyknownas

Our plan was to entrench ourselves in the tradition of having Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning to ourselves, but we got suckered into Christmas Eve dinner at MIL's house. In the future though, we'll stick to our guns and keep that time alone together.

H's extended family always celebrates on the 26th, and my family is whenever everyone has a day off (this year it's the 27th and the 1st).

Don't be afraid to push back. You two are your own family now and you get to build your own traditions.

amelisha

My parents went to Vegas on me this year. I don't mind, I will see them when they get back and I want them to have fun and travel whenever they can.

We love our families and all, but we'd both prefer to skip all the forced Christmas stuff, truthfully. We've had some lovely holidays alone (last year we took a roadtrip to California and spent Christmas Day at Disneyland) and we always enjoy it. Happy, together, a day off, that's just fine with us without having to plan/attend two meals/events for his mother and sister and then his father's side.

FI's beloved grandmother is 90 and getting quite ill, so we're happy to put up with "family Christmas" as long as she's with us. After that, though, I think we're going to travel like my parents, at least a ski trip or something. We can see his parents around the holidays without hoopla.

AddieCake

We don't usually do much of anything. Our families live far away, so we have to travel to see them, and we can't always afford to make those trips. We saw his parents last year, and I saw my dad the year before that. This year it's just me home alone, so I'm going to a friend's house.

OnionBreath

I've always been so attached to my family for Christmas. We started doing his family for Christmas Eve last year which was odd for me. Maybe I'll get used to it and like some silence together!

chibiyui

We switch who we spend Christmas with year to year.

This year we're going to have our Christmas on Christmas eve

Christmas day we're going to my grandparents for the family Christmas. Then we'll stop by my aunts on our way home.

Christmas with my parents is on the 27th.

And Christmas with H's family will be new years eve.

levioosa

Christmas Eve with SO's family, Christmas day with mine.  Figuring it out this year was stressful and a big deal.  We couldn't make anyone happy so we just picked days and went with it. 

lyndausvi

My parents are in Hawaii too, with my sister.  I could afford to go, but DH it's a busy time of year for hm work wise.

This is my 4th christmas in a different location.  We do not have traditions other than putting up certain decorations.    

This year we both work tomorrow night until late.  Then mostly likely open gifts.   Then go skiing on Xmas day, then go to his GM's house.

luckya23

chibiyui said:

We switch who we spend Christmas with year to year. This year we're going to have our Christmas on Christmas eve Christmas day we're going to my grandparents for the family Christmas. Then we'll stop by my aunts on our way home. Christmas with my parents is on the 27th. And Christmas with H's family will be new years eve.

 

Holy crap that's a lot of Christmassing!!

Inkdancer

We were supposed to be driving up to my mom's house tonight, but I have a stomach bug of doom. We're going to leave in the morning instead.

chibiyui

luckya23 said:

chibiyui said:

We switch who we spend Christmas with year to year.

This year we're going to have our Christmas on Christmas eve

Christmas day we're going to my grandparents for the family Christmas. Then we'll stop by my aunts on our way home.

Christmas with my parents is on the 27th.

And Christmas with H's family will be new years eve.

 

Holy crap that's a lot of Christmassing!!

Yep.

I want this to be over already.

OnionBreath

i hope you feel better!

decembergrl2014

Tomorrow afternoon we're seeing FIL at the nursing home. Tomorrow night we're hosting, and then Christmas Day at my parents house. After that we will kick back and relax for few days before going to the Poconos for New Year's/my birthday.

ashsmash07

Normally we travel home for the holidays and go to Fi's parents house, my mom's house and my dad's house in turn. This is the first year we won't be going home for Christmas so it will be just the two of us.

mikenberger

Christmas Eve at my.former stepmoms house. Christmas Day at home with just FI and I. Overall, very quiet

luckya23

This is my first xmas with FI, and we are supposed to go see his grandmother tomorrow, come home the same night (6 hr round trip), and then xmas day at my parents' house around the corner.

The weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow though, and I'm hoping FI won't want to drive home(ahem, I will be the one driving).

theartistformerlyknownas

Oooooh guys I think we just got out of one Christmas obligation! Well, sort of. We were supposed to go to H's uncle's house on Christmas night, even though almost everyone who will be there will be at MIL's house Christmas Eve (plus H's aunt's family who we don't even really know). Well now the family who wasn't going to be there (H's brother/SIL/nieces) wanted to stop by our house before going there, and will be picking up SIL from the airport (H and BIL bought her a ticket home from NY as MIL's gift). MIL heard BIL was going to be here, so she asked if she could come too. And then hey if we're all in one place why don't we open presents there so we don't have to pack them up to take them to aunt/uncles. OY VEY people, let us have some alone time! Why didn't we just host Christmas and skip aunt/uncle's house if everyone was going to come here anyway? And how on earth will we get all these people out of here in time for us to eat our lobster tails before we take dessert to the other party?! H says "well... you're right. There's no reason for us to go to aunt/uncle's anymore. So they can leave when they're ready, we'll send dessert with them, and we can have the night back to ourselves." HOT DAMN HALLELUJAH. Still technically 6 total Christmas celebrations but one of them is at our house not during meal time! 

ShesSoCold

This is our first Christmas without my mom and it's a clusterfuck. Apparently all the men in my family can't handle not hosting. I was able to convince my stepdad to have us (my brother, his wife, my sister, H and I) over tomorrow night. Then Christmas morning all the same people (plus my dad) have to go to my brothers house since he's the first person to ever have a baby and therefore the most important person on the planet. Then H and I are stopping by his dad's, on our way to my uncle's house for the extended family Christmas, where it will see the same people again, minus my dad. Since well only have seen my dad once already, we have to go to his house (again, with the same fucking people) after dinner for drinks. My sister and I are looking at flights to Vegas that leave tomorrow morning.

ohannabelle

I have the flu.

Baking came to a screeching halt, no longer give a damn what the house looks like, and Moose and I are in quarantine for the holidays. Because Grandma is like 90 pounds and is almost 100. So we can't be near her. 

No Christmas Eve crab, no pepperoni rolls, no stinky cheese. 

I have a bottle of 2004 Barolo I was saving for my prime rib dinner. Crappity crap crap crap. It's going to be a chicken soup Christmas, instead. 

Pajama and fuzzy blanket time. 

Gustafson28

We carved out tomorrow night and Christmas morning for ourselves. Since we want kids eventually (maybe soon! Eek!) We wanted to make sure that there was some time just for our new family. Even if we don't have kids it will be nice that no one expects any thing of us during that time. Woo!

Christmas day is at my parents since DHs family is huge and his father is a nurse. Next to impossible to get everyone together for Christmas day. We do get boxing day with them this year so that's a nice surprise!

slothiegal

Oy. Currently on the bus to LAX for a red eye flight back to Detroit. It's packed and there's traffic and H is not entertaining me and I'm fussy. (Yes, when traveling, I turn into half 5 year child, half crazed woman who thinks she's on Amazing Race and runs through the airport.)

theartistformerlyknownas

slothiegal said:

Oy. Currently on the bus to LAX for a red eye flight back to Detroit. It's packed and there's traffic and H is not entertaining me and I'm fussy. (Yes, when traveling, I turn into half 5 year child, half crazed woman who thinks she's on Amazing Race and runs through the airport.)

COME OVER HERE, I'LL FEED YOU COOKIES FOR BREAKFAST!

CMGragain

My kids are 2000 miles away.  I have to work (church organist) tomorrow night, so I plan to sleep in on Christmas day, and then skype with the kids.  Chocolate will help, and my wonderful sister sent me five pounds of See's!  Wow!
If you are feeling sorry for yourself, find a friendly church with a Christmas Eve candlelight service and go sing Silent Night.  It does wonders for the holiday blues.

sophhabobopha

Tomorrow we have breakfest brunch at FFIL's and after that dinner and a sleepover at grandma's. My mom and family are there.

Christmas day it's off to FSIL's.

KeptInStitches

I have a stomach bug that slithered out of the nether regions. I'm currently praying for death. It hasn't yet occurred to me, not really, that I will be missing Christmas with my family and FI will be missing Christmas with his family (I cannot travel or be left alone - way too sick for that). When it does, you'll hear the scream.

larrygaga

Backyard Ice hockey with the fam and an inappropriate amount of eating and drinking.

princessofgenovia

Tonight we're going to my grandma's, she always does a little thing on Christmas eve. Finger foods, hanging out, and we open one present, then we'll go look at some lights cause I love lights.

Tomorrow we're going to his moms' around 10 to do a Christmas breakfast/brunch and open presents with them and his sisters. Apparently when they were kids they found it was easier to do their stuff earlier in the day so they could go visit with whomever later on in the day, plus apparently feeding them sooner left less grumpy kids later. The tradition stuck.

We'll go to my parents' in the early evening (I think around 4) for dinner and presents. Then we'll either go home, go to the casino, go to a bar, whatever we feel like really. 

We're probably gonna do a movie in there somewhere, if not we'll go on Friday. I like seeing movies.

luckya23

luckya23 said:

This is my first xmas with FI, and we are supposed to go see his grandmother tomorrow, come home the same night (6 hr round trip), and then xmas day at my parents' house around the corner.

The weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow though, and I'm hoping FI won't want to drive home(ahem, I will be the one driving).

I got out of the drive!!  So I worked most of the day, then wrapped gifts, now I'm knotting and maybe we'll go look at lights later.  I want to make some cookies too, but I just ate half a bag of Hershey Kisses so I need to wait a while!

decembergrl2014

I'm sitting here relaxing...for now. H is getting the kids, and the food is in the oven. Table was set this morning. Chaos (I mean family lol) will be here soon.

ohannabelle

KeptInStitches said:

I have a stomach bug that slithered out of the nether regions. I'm currently praying for death. It hasn't yet occurred to me, not really, that I will be missing Christmas with my family and FI will be missing Christmas with his family (I cannot travel or be left alone - way too sick for that). When it does, you'll hear the scream.

Me, too, Stitches. It's the first time I've been sick for the holiday. And my boy. So it's just the two of us, which is weird.

You know what's weirder? Aside from the headache and aching muscles and sore throat and just chilled to the bone, this is kind of great. Quiet. 

Fuzzy new pajamas. No driving around. No noisy relatives. No driving my sister home after. No pressure to gussy the house up, or bake hundreds of cookie. Too sick to care. 

Just very nice music and a fire and pajamas and three warm shirts and giant socks and a furry blanket, and a book. And a heating pad, because I just can't get warm. Just aching and shivering.

But not the very worst thing that could happen. A vast improvement over the very worst thing. I'll take it.

KeptInStitches

ohannabelle said:

KeptInStitches said:

I have a stomach bug that slithered out of the nether regions. I'm currently praying for death. It hasn't yet occurred to me, not really, that I will be missing Christmas with my family and FI will be missing Christmas with his family (I cannot travel or be left alone - way too sick for that). When it does, you'll hear the scream.

Me, too, Stitches. It's the first time I've been sick for the holiday. And my boy. So it's just the two of us, which is weird.

You know what's weirder? Aside from the headache and aching muscles and sore throat and just chilled to the bone, this is kind of great. Quiet. 

Fuzzy new pajamas. No driving around. No noisy relatives. No driving my sister home after. No pressure to gussy the house up, or bake hundreds of cookie. Too sick to care. 

Just very nice music and a fire and pajamas and three warm shirts and giant socks and a furry blanket, and a book. And a heating pad, because I just can't get warm. Just aching and shivering.

But not the very worst thing that could happen. A vast improvement over the very worst thing. I'll take it.

Oh, I agree, @ohannabelle - it's not the very worst thing that could happen. I'm just still sad because this is so not how Christmas is supposed to be.

My FI seems to have stayed healthy so I'm thinking I ate something that severely disagreed with me. Severely disagreed with me.