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As of right now, I don't think so but we'll see. I would love to do something like volunteer somewhere, at a homeless shelter or food bank or something. I've always wanted to do that on a holiday.
Weeeeeell..for a little while, the holidays were difficult for me, but I made it through, for my kids. The holidays were always important for us. As a child, it was never in a religious manner, because we were not a religious family. As I got into my 20's and my children were pretty young, I gave my heart to Christ and there became a new meaning to the holidays.
Thanksgiving is my favorite one. All of my brothers and sisters and our families get together all in one place, all at one time. It used to be that everyone was invited to my parents, but since they passed, we took turns having it.
In the year 2000, I lost my mom on Christmas Eve and for me, Christmas became a difficult holiday to bear. I had to tell my kids that their grandmother was gone, I had to tell my grandmother that her daughter was gone, and life just didn't seem very fair at all.
I decided that my mother made it to Jesus' bday just in time and every year, we made my mothers favorite cake after that. The holidays have come almost back to normal, and on Thanksgiving, we celebrate our parents lives. I can't wait for Thanksgiving every year, knowing there will be laughter and tears, but they will be shared with the people I love. This last year was the first time I was happy on Christmas..
I don't get into the religious aspects of the holidays because I'm an atheist.
However, I did grow up Catholic and love to put up my tree. Many of my ornaments were gifts from friends and loved ones, while others are souvenirs from my travels, and I like the memories that go along with each one. It's more like a Memory Tree than a Christmas Tree. I also enjoy holiday baking and time with family and friends, and all the parties. You're in an area filled with transplants and transients. I've been in that situation, and my ex and I hosted Thanksgiving one year for all the folks from out of state.
Yet there were other years when I just didn't do anything. I mailed off a few gifts or just gave them the next time I saw my family. Sometimes it was because I had just moved. Other times it was because I had come down with bronchitis. And right after my ex moved out, I just wanted to have a quiet holiday alone because his family tended to go overboard with everything and it was nice not to have to deal with all of that chaos for a change. So I do hear you on opting out this year.
One more thing: I "missed" many Thanksgivings with my family because the travel is just nightmarish and I often had to work the next day, so instead I volunteered at a local homeless shelter. Maybe you can look into doing that, either for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or both. Try HandsOn Greater DC Cares.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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Originally Posted by Osito
As of right now, I don't think so but we'll see. I would love to do something like volunteer somewhere, at a homeless shelter or food bank or something. I've always wanted to do that on a holiday.
I'm thinking about volunteering on these days as well. At least, if I did I'd give someone who actually gives a a happy holidays.
Nope we dont plan on celebrating anything this year no thanksgiving and not christmas either . my husband and I both hate the holidays and so do my kids and their spouses hate it too . My one S. I. Law and my daughter tell everyone nope just another day and there is never anything to do so we skip it .. no special meal no nothing because everyone is away doing something else .... I guess Im glad that most of my kids dont have kids so they cant ruin christmas for them . My son tells me he is never having kids cause he does not want to put his anger over christmas on his kids .. my kids never had much of a christmas because we never had the money . And lets all face it christmas is money and every year everything goes sky high because the retailers have made it like that .
Christmas is my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving to me is more about family than Christmas because of the whole big family sitting down to dinner & all. I'm an only child, so it's just my parents & I. We haven't seen my other relatives on either of my parents' sides in AT LEAST a few years & I'm sure we won't do it this year either. My parents & I celebrate the holidays, but we CELEBRATE IT HOW WE WANT TO & we don't make ourselvesto feel obligated to do a certain tradition or this or that. This year will be my first holidays not living with my parents, so for Thanksgiving, I'm sure I'll see my parents for a certain part of the day. For Christmas though, I'll be off from work & school & I'm so overworked from them both that I want my boyfriend & I to spend a few days out of town! I don't have close friends, so I'm never invited to anyone's house for the holidays & I don't care about being invited.
Sitting up in some relative's house is not really what I prefer to do. I prefer to do my own thing! Whether it's staying home all day OR going on a vacation. If I want to have a Christmas tree and/or decorations to enjoy, I'll do it. If I don't feel like it, I won't. If I feel like having Chinese food or a pizza for either holiday, I will. No one tells me I have to eat turkey! I do LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my mom's stuffing recipe though. Give me that & I'll be a happy camper!
Last edited by Forever Blue; 10-08-2012 at 08:46 PM..
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a happy holidays.
