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How Do You Choose Which Family Gets You on Christmas?

Holiday Season Family BELatina

The holiday season is a time for family and friends. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah all offer the chance to spend time with loved ones. We rejoice in the sounds and sights of the season hoping the days will last long enough to see everyone we enjoy spending time with the people we love at every turn. As simple as the task may be for a select few, it can be a heavy burden for others struggling with the decision of how to split time between the family members we love.

Each year, couples battle it out to figure out where will they go on Thanksgiving or Christmas. What will the holiday schedule look like to ensure that everyone gets a piece of you? It can be draining as couples exhaust the various options available and feasible on the day. Sometimes, finances can throw a wrench in the plans. The cost of travel in airfare, car rental, adds to expenses incurred. Getting to family’s homes for the holidays creates work or stress. It is enough to unsettle you and your mate producing a tug of war that can create emotional distress. It can put relationships in a chokehold during the festive season.

Many folks take holidays very seriously. A no-show at a family function can cause a rift for years. The struggle of deciding where to land on  Christmas can’t be resolved in a coin toss. So, do you make the choice less stressful? How can the right decision be made to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas happily?

Holidays don’t need to look like anyone else’s. In fact, it can consist of parents and siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins, to friends only. The circle of love is different for everyone. The most important question to ask yourself about where you will spend the festivities is where will you get the most enjoyment? It’s difficult for all to get exactly what they want without unfairness cutting into the picture. Therefore, compromise seems to work best during the ordeal. But there are a couple of suggestions on how couples can lessen the pressure each year when making the big decision.

Alternate the Holidays

Switching out family holidays can ease the pain of figuring out where to go at holiday time. Spend Thanksgiving with your family, then make the trip to the significant other’s tribe at Christmas. It can work if distance does not interfere with the plan. I can share from experience that this option may be taxing on your physical state if you have to shuffle to and from an airport or drive for hours, but it can provide a reasonable solution.

Split the Holidays

Divide the time between the two families. A stop at each event is a perfectly good way to give each family equal time. However, this won’t always work, as many have distance to contend with, making it a challenging option.

Host the Holidays at Your Home

If you want to bring family together in one place, invite them all to your place. It is a lot of work to host a holiday but you will get the opportunity to see everyone come from near and far.

Whatever you decide to do this holiday season, remember that this is a time to take it all in stride. Do not sweat the small stuff, instead seek solutions to bring comfort and joy to the ones you love including yourself! Spend the time in a way that makes you happy, accommodating others to a degree that does not cause you misery during this magical time.

Happy Holidays to you and your families!

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