S/O How do you spend Christmas?

Marina007

The Am I a brat thread below got me thinking.

I'm in Norway, so we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, too. FI and I celebrated together at my parents' last year (since his were abroad), but this year we're splitting up (we did the same last year) because we're both ok with it (and have a mini-Christmas just the two of us the night before).   Apart from Christmas Eve, we go as a couple to other family events.

Works for us, and we'll probably do it this way until we have kids.

How do you split your celebrations? Does it work?

baystateapple

H is in the medical field, so he has almost always had to work at least one day on Christmas.  We try to switch every other year, so that we can be with his parents at least one day every other Christmas, but it doesn't always work.

This year, it's our year to be with my parents.  So we're going up this weekend for his family's big blowout Christmas party, and exchanging gifts with my ILs then.  Christmas Eve and Day will be spent with my family in CT.

Avion22

My family is used to people being out of the country or having to work, so we tend to be pretty flexible when it comes to celebrating.  In recent years we've celebrated at my sister's house in DC becuase it's more fun and there's more stuff to do there.  This year we have my new nephew, so that'll be awesome.

Fi and I will be traveling from the UK (where we currently live) to Orlando to see his family for a few days.  We'll do Christmas morning with his family (niece and nephew are 5 and 7), then in the afternoon we're flying to DC so we can have dinner with my family, then we'll stay there through New Years.   

Next year we'll probably ask everyone to join us in the UK:-)

Marina007

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_spend-christmas?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:0d46daa2-79c1-4884-99d4-25e980e41b3ePost:c24b3367-8342-443a-9d08-5916c7033b27">Re: S/O How do you spend Christmas?</a>:
[QUOTE]Next year we'll probably ask everyone to join us in the UK:-)
Posted by Avion22[/QUOTE]

Mince pies for everyone!

heyjude23

This is the first year that FI and I are celebrating Christmas together (instead of splitting to go to each of our respective families). 

Christmas Eve is the big night for my family and always has been, so we'll do church that evening and go to my aunt's house like I've always done.

Christmas day we'll do brunch at my FMIL's and then dinner with my FFIL at FI's aunt's (his parents are divorced).  Those two days will be busy and we'll probably be really tired by the end of it, but we'll be able to see everyone which was our goal.

ski2play

FI has worked every Christmas since we have been together (3 years now)....I have college age children, so while I would love to have Christmas with FI and my kids, I choose to spend Christmas with my kids, either them coming home to my house, or me traveling (and staying in a hotel) in the town their father (my ex) lives in.  Either way, it is enjoyable.  Christmas for FI and I is worked in around my kids.

The way I look at it is, I get to enjoy FI every other day of the year.  So we celebrate that! 

Avion22

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_spend-christmas?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:0d46daa2-79c1-4884-99d4-25e980e41b3ePost:47cb1b03-c768-4ad6-8694-2a11355b659d">Re: S/O How do you spend Christmas?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: S/O How do you spend Christmas? : Mince pies for everyone!
Posted by Marina007[/QUOTE]

<div>Mince pies for everyone this year, too!  I'm bringing tons home with me:-)  </div>

ski2play

Marina, your sig picture is beautiful....

rardito

My FI's family does their's on Dec 24 and my family does it on Dec 25. 


Also I just wanted to say that I am jealous that you live in Norway.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Offcially, we do Thanksgiving at my in-laws, Christmas Eve with my dad, and Christmas day with my mom. Our parents are over 500 miles apart (my dad and my mom are 6 miles apart, though), so it works. This year we skipped T-Day, so we're going to visit my in-laws for a few days after Christmas.

KellyBrian2013

Last year (pre-engagement), we split for Xmas Eve and then I joined him for the evening of Xmas Day.

This year, we'll be celebrating Xmas Eve with my family and Xmas Day with his. We split Thanksgiving (every other year) so that we are on the same schedule as his brother and SIL. His mom isn't thrilled with that arrangement, as it means every other year she is missing two of her sons, but we'd prefer to see his brother/SIL/nephew every other TG rather than never for the holiday.

The complication will be when we can afford to travel more to visit my dad who is out of state (parents divorced). But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it...

BMcLeodTeam

We are lucky, FI's family has always celebrated Christmas Eve, and my family has always celebrated afterwards (depending on people's schedules, this year the 27th is the day we're getting together) so FI and I are able to attend both together

Megbo2012

You live in Norway?! I'm so jealous.  FI and I went there last winter and completely fell in love.  We stayed in Oslo and Geilo.  

This year FI and I will go to my mom's for Christmas, and her B=brother's for Christmas day, and then FI's parents later/the next day.  We spent Thanksgiving with them this year.  Until we have our own children, I think it will remain this way because my Mom lives alone and I'm an only child and even though we usually go to her brother's after, I wouldn't want her to be alone Christmas morning/eve.

[Deleted User]

So far, we've spent Christmas with my family. Christmas Eve at my dad's (dinner and gifts, then spend the evening at mom's). Christmas day with my mom, then we all go over to my grandparents' for gifts (they live next door to mom), and back over later for dinner. My other grandparents have Christmas Eve whenever it fits our schedules. This year, it's the 18th (this Sunday!!). Last year, it was the weirdest Christmas Eve because their home was destroyed by a tornado so it was thrown together last minute at their hotel room.

But next year, I've promised H we can go to PA to be with his family (not sure how they celebrate). I think by then I'll be ready to be apart from my family. H and I were apart for TG last year and it sucked, so I really don't want to do that for Christmas. I'll go with him to PA rather than be alone.

Habs2Hart

We have 4 sets of parents to split between. 

My dad and SM live in Mexico, so they are flying up next week for Christmas in Toronto with us kids, our SO's and their grandkids. 

Christmas Eve is my mom and SD's.  We go to church and play games.  We spend Christmas day here too (they are local). 

Boxing day we head down to H's family (3hr drive).  His dad and SM on boxing day, then dinner with his mom and her SO, then the next day we do a big dinner with his aunt, grandparents and cousins. 

It's hectic as hell, but it works actually quite well since his family is all within 30 minutes of one another. 

strlzfan11

When my sister & I were kids, we'd open presents and then go to dad's parents house about 70 miles away for a big noontime meal.  Dad's the oldest of seven and everyone was always there.  We'd do presents and what not after eating and then hang out until around 3:00 or so, which is when we would pack up the car and head back home to be at mom's parents' house (which was maybe 10 minutes away) for dinner around 4:30/5:00ish.  We'd eventually go home around 8:00.  We did this for every major holiday (TG, Christmas, and Easter) up until a few years  after my grandma died (I was 11).  My aprents really lucked in that their families already had set eating times that didn't interfere with one another.

Eventually we started doing family holidays with dad's side of the family either on the Sunday before or the Sunday after the holiday.  It worked out well, but now that all the grandkids are grown up (1 is still in HS) we've whittled it down to 1 huge family picnic in the summer and TG at my aunt & uncle's house if you can make it.  Holidays with mom's side don't really exist anymore.  I see mom's sister more than she does and her kids are all spread out so it's hard to get everyone together, especially now that our grandparents are both gone.

Holidays now are just fly by the seat of your pants.  We have no set schedule for anything and usually figure things out about a month before the holiday.  It drives me batty, but it is what it is.  I tried convincing my mother a year or so ago that she needed to set up a rotating holiday schedule so we'd know well in advance where we'd be spending the holiday.  She thought it was a good idea, but didn't think she'd be able to convince my younger sister to go along.

ETA: This year will be crazy because mom is in the hospital right now (hoping to come home tomorrow or Thursday), one sister isn't coming home, and the other works Christmas Day.  I guess I'll be cooking (which is fine by me).

mari0225

Both of our families celebrate on Christmas Day, the past two years FI and I have spent Christmas Eve together when he got off work, and then went our seperate ways. Well now that we are engaged and starting our life together we decided that we are a united front (his grandmother HATES me). So Christmas Day this year we are going to spend Christmas morning with my mom, then in the early afternoon doing presents with his neice and nephew and sister and Grandmother, then leaving early (not sure how well that will go over), to make lunch/dinner with my family and opening presents, then we are going to a late night appetizer thing with his mom and her boyfriend.

If it doesn't go well, then we will just have to start alternating or doing more things on Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas. His mom is pretty flexible, thank goodness.

Gosh i'm tired after writing that!

raes19

Luckily, our families all live relatively close. We usually spend more time with my family though, because H's siblings are much older than him and they aren't that close. I'm really close with my family, and he knows it means a lot to me that we spend the holidays together, especially Christmas because it is usually a rough day for us (my grandfather passed away on Christmas).

schmella

I guess I'm really lucky, holidays were a no brainer for us.  My extended family only gets together once a year on Thanksgiving, so that holiday is always spent with my family.  Christmas has always just been immediate family, and not a big deal.  We live really close to my family, so we see them all the time.  We have celebrated a "second Christmas" (a couple weeks later) for a few years now due to complicated schedules. 

H's family lives 5 hours away.  They go all out for Christmas (and all the holidays).  We spend Christmas and Easter with them.  Both families seem pretty happy with it. 

I know everyone feels differently about it, but the holidays are such family events to me that I can't imagine spending them without him! 

PetalPockets2012

We are going to FI's family for Christmas. My family lives pretty close and his is out of state and it is more fun to go to Christmas with them. All the other holidays are with my family or our friends due to distance.

PhoneCardLady

This will be our first Christmas together so I am not sure how things will be...

I'm waiting to hear something from his mom.  I think FI said that they usually did Christmas Eve, which I am good with.

Christmas Morining my family has a BIG breakfast before we open presents.  My mom has already stated that FI CANNOT come for breakfast but is welcome to come later on that day.

Personally I think that sucks!  On top of that, my church is having regular services so that means if I want to go I have to be out the door by 10:20am.

FI is friends with several members of the Lions International and I'm sure at least one of them will have an invite for us for later on in the day. I am fine with that too!

mica178

My parents and my IL live on opposite sides of the country.  Before we were married, we didn't spend Christmas together.  Last year, we were in SF, so Christmas Eve was with H's brother (who also lives in the SF area) and Christmas Day was with my parents.  This year, we're in Tampa, so we'll do whatever my ILs usually do (I think they celebrate on Christmas Day). 

My family never had set traditions for Christmas.  Between me living in LA for 9 years and my father being a doctor in a group with only one non-Christian, holidays have always had to fit around our schedules.  Back when we were younger, we usually had a nuclear family meal on Christmas Eve and a big family dinner on Christmas Day, and we tried to go to Midnight Mass.  But that was it.  No special holiday menu or anything.

RKPugs

This is our first year spending Christmas together. We lived 9 hours from my parents and 5 hours from his. We spent Thanksgiving with his parents this year so we will spend Christmas with mine. We will then meet in his hometown for New Year's to celebrate Christmas with his family.