https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:50:07 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929880 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 20:02:58 +0000 sunshineandsushi 1929880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Seems like I'm an outlier here. Last Christmas, our first with LOs, we told our families we wanted to spend our first Christmas with the boys in our own house. So they came to us. FIL and SMIL came for Christmas Eve and stayed til Christmas morning. Then my family came in the afternoon. </p> <p>This year, MIL is visiting for the week of Christmas (she lives out of state), so my family will visit on Christmas Day while she's here. FIL and SMIL will not be visiting. :silly: </p> <p>We typically do thanksgiving with my family since FIL and SMIL don't really celebrate it. Otherwise we fly to visit MIL. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929822 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 19:13:31 +0000 Anagram 1929822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always celebrate of different days. Our families are all very spread out and require flights to visit, so they know we aren't going 2 places in one day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929760 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 18:20:09 +0000 MrsKMM 1929760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Christmas Eve has always been with in laws, as they throw a huge party. Christmas day, then, is always with my side. We usually alternate Thanksgiving, and then see the other family the weekend after for desserts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929634 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 16:53:42 +0000 mrs. tictactoe 1929634@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always have two thanksgivings, one on thanksgiving at my parents' and one on the Saturday after at my ILs'. We all like it this way, so I doubt it will change in the future.</p> <p>Christmas is trickier. We usually alternate spending either Christmas Eve or Christmas day with my ILs, but it doesn't always work out to alternate with my parents. Sometimes we celebrate with both families on Christmas Eve, one earlier and one later. This year, I think we will be with my parents on Christmas Eve and my ILs on Christmas day. Oh, and we always have my ILs over at our house for Christmas Eve or day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929554 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 16:03:48 +0000 MapleMoose 1929554@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always go to my parents for Thanksgiving with about 30-35 relatives. Last year MIL came to Thanksgiving at my parents house and caused way too much drama. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when she announced that this year she'll be going elsewhere for Thanksgiving. So we may have to have a quick visit with her at some point. Luckily both sets of parents live in the same town so we won't have to drive all over. </p> <p>Christmas is way busier with a bit more traveling. We have MIL come to our house for a visit/gift exchange on Christmas Eve. Later that evening we have Christmas Eve mass at my uncle's parish about 40 minutes away where he is a priest, then an hour drive to my aunt's house at night after mass for a late dinner with maternal relatives. Then Christmas morning at my parents house with my siblings, then Christmas day/dinner at my grandparents house with paternal relatives in the next town. </p> <p>It's exhausting. We didn't go to my aunt's last year and she was so mad. Oh well, LO1 was a newborn and we weren't going, period. We may have to adjust our plans next year with 2 LO's, we'll see. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929513 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 15:46:40 +0000 mrsjyw 1929513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Both sets of gparents are local, thanksgiving we're doing altogether with our parents + our family of 3. (Usually we host a huge thanksgiving dinner for my side of the family and invite ILs, but I'm foregoing that this year). </p> <p>For Christmas, we spend Christmas Eve/early AM just us. Go to Christmas morning mass and do brunch with ILs, then Christmas dinner with my parents/extended family. Then we do Christmas wknd up north with DH's extended family.</p> <p>OY. I got exhausted just typing that out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929512 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 15:46:35 +0000 illumina 1929512@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but we alternate between DH's family and mine at Christmas...7 years in and it's going fine :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929511 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 15:44:31 +0000 Bubbles 1929511@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do every other year - we don't celebrate thanksgiving so it's just Christmas to split! Then whoever's family we didn't see on Christmas Day we will usually see on Boxing Day. I am so impressed with all of you who do multiple places in the same day, even pre kids I would have struggled with that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929470 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 15:19:49 +0000 jetsa 1929470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We spend Easter with my family, and Thanksgiving with DH.</p> <p>For Christmas we tell everyone they can come to our house but we are not leaving until 5 pm on Christmas Day, we spend Christmas Day Evening with DH family and then travel 6 hours the weekend before or after to see my family. When DH and I were dating we did Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day Evening with his but driving 6 hours sucks as an adult I wasn't going to make my child do it. My family is still not ok with us missing the actual holidays but oh well, such is life. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929364 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 14:40:22 +0000 Caly 1929364@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We spend half the day with one side, half the day with the other, it's always worked out great. Who gets which part of the day is based on everyone's schedules &amp; both sides are always accommodating. Same for who hosts. Thankfully, in 12 years there hasn't been any fights. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929325 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 14:24:38 +0000 Synchronicity 1929325@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our parents live 5 minutes away from each other, but an hour away from us. We generally see both families on the same day for each holiday, unless they are hosting it out of town in which case it's whoever plans/invites us first, wins ;) </p> <p>Even with them living so close it always feels rushed and stressful trying to see everyone and enjoy the day. I'm really looking forward to my parents moving closer to us so that we will be forced to plan things out a little better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929308 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 14:18:58 +0000 babynumber1 1929308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are very fortunate to live close to both of our families.<br /> Thanksgiving- my family at 12 for lunch, his family at 5 for dinner. *This year we are actually all having lunch at our house since so many of DH's siblings are out of town. It is a nice change.<br /> Christmas- My family at 10am for breakfast and gifts. After LO's nap, we head to DH's parents house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929293 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 14:14:21 +0000 LuLu Mom 1929293@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanksgiving we skip my side and go to DH's dad's side. However, that's because we skip his dad's side on Christmas and only go to my side. We used to squeeze in both but it was so much time in the car and LO was crabby about leaving each place, so we decided it's only a month apart, we will just do one on one day and one on the other. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929216 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 13:48:14 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1929216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do one year in Canada, the next in the states.<br /> But.... In the states we see my family in DC on Christmas Eve and the FIL in Florida for Christmas. It's a mad dash but had worked out OK so far.<br /> And even though we are supposed to spend Xmas with MIL in Canada she always bails so we have a quieter one at home and Christmas Eve with DH's half siblings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929212 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 13:47:24 +0000 Dandelion 1929212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are the same with you for christmas. Each family has their slot.</p> <p>For thanksgiving, my mom hosts dinner for us and my inlaws, including dh's brother and fsil. It works out great for everyone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929206 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 13:46:29 +0000 Bao 1929206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I think they are so set in their ways! Drives me nuts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929200 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 13:43:20 +0000 looch 1929200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bao: haha, i get it, I really do. It's not easy to mix families, but it always bugs me a lot when the older generation won't be flexibile. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929145 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 13:29:01 +0000 birdofafeather 1929145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We usually split the day or we're lucky enough to have them live close enough together that we can do some joint stuff too. It will change as R gets bigger and our siblings have kids too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929129 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 13:18:24 +0000 Bao 1929129@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Unfortunately, no. DH's family has their gathering at his grandmas and she is the "host" and my MIL would have a giant fit about me "trying to change tradition". When A was 4 months old I asked if we could do Christmas Eve at our place (just DH, myself, LO, DH's parents, and brother) and boy was it the end of the world. I can't imagine trying to get that to happen with DH's extended family, when it was even that difficult with just a few of us. Our families also don't really have the same style of things, so that wouldn't work either. I'm a-ok with not getting together with one family or the other one year, my MIL will just have to get over it ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929065 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:54:12 +0000 Adira 1929065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We try to see everyone for Christmas, but we do it on different days. For Thanksgiving, we alternate between Hubs' family and mine. Also, whichever family sees us for Thanksgiving doesn't see us ON Christmas.</p> <p>So this year we're going to my parents' for Thanksgiving and we'll be spending Christmas Day with MIL. Last year we spent Thanksgiving with FIL and SMIL and Christmas Day with my parents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929062 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:53:00 +0000 looch 1929062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Due to geography, we are either at home or at my inlaws, so we don't have to split the days. If we did though, I would offer to host as much as possible and if I could, I'd have both sides of the family over to my house, is that a possibility for you? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929061 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:52:49 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 1929061@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always do our own thing, something with his family, and something with my family all on the same day, every single holiday. No one is willing to celebrate on different days. We brought up doing an every other year thing, but my mom cried and his mom gave us the silent treatment.....so....yeah. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929045 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:46:23 +0000 shortiecake 1929045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband works in healthcare and oftentimes has to work on holidays. Every year (even before we started dating) he requests Thanksgiving off specifically to cook for his extended family. (If he doesn't cook, they don't eat...which is a whole other issue.) Because he would always get Thanksgiving off, he usually has to work Christmas Day.</p> <p>Since we've been together, we've spent Thanksgiving with his family and usually tried to do a belated Thanksgiving with my family a few days later. He's had to work each Christmas which means I spend the day with my family and without him. We're currently TTC and I'm hoping we can figure out a compromise before we have kids. Luckily our families are relatively close distance-wise and we could "split" the holiday if necessary but I know it''s not ideal or easy to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929034 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:41:44 +0000 catlady 1929034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is a struggle for us too. Last year, we just did them all (three Christmases on the same day!) and I was exhausted. This year, we decided to compromise by saying we'd visit only one family per day, but we'd do multiple days per holiday if need be. We have too many sets of family so we are also sort of alternating holidays too. On Thanksgiving, we will be at MIL or SILs and the day after, we will travel to visit my dad's extended family. Then on Christmas, we will probably do Christmas Eve with MIL/SIL's family and then we will spend Christmas Day with my mom's extended family. DH's parents are divorced and luckily his dad is usually happy to see us during the weekends in between holidays. We usually see DH's grandparents at New Years. Wow, just writing that out makes me tired already. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929009 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:30:13 +0000 Smurfette 1929009@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We made it so we don't have multiple on one day now. </p> <p>I am not having R spend her Christmas in the car for 4-5 hours to go see the IL's. So we are going to see them the weekend before or after Christmas each year. They aren't happy but whatever, DH and I both think it is better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-manage-multiple-holiday-gatherings#post-1929001 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:27:09 +0000 Bao 1929001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Luckily when it comes to Christmas each family does their get together on different days. For Thanksgiving though we used to go to DH's moms side then rush over to my side, but we would miss everything. This year I suggested we do an every other year thing. So this year we will go to my family only, and next year his family only. I'm sure MIL will throw a fit but it's just becoming too much now that we have kids. </p> <p>How do you manage all of your holiday gatherings, especially if there are several on the same day? </p>