Should we HAVE to do 3 separate Christmases with DH family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eff no. This is insane. I also don’t feel like Christmas is traditionally spent with grandparents when you are an adult.

Yeah, this. 2+ sets of parents is enough to coordinate, it is not normal to have to schedule around everyone in both spouses' immediate families as well. (Common and frustrating, sure, mandatory, no.)

[Anonymous]

Not only no but HELL NO! How utterly ridiculous that YOU DH would even consider asking you to do this. Stay home and the day after Christmas have an open house and they can come to you.

[Anonymous]

No way. Assuming you see everybody throughout the year, I would institute a three year rotating holiday schedule.

Year one: your family of origin.
Year two: his family of origin. (Let him figure out how to schedule everybody)
Year three: just your family. (If you have kids, they need their own family traditions. If it’s just you and husband, go to Barbados.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just do an open house. People can come to you or not.

This is a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way. Assuming you see everybody throughout the year, I would institute a three year rotating holiday schedule.

Year one: your family of origin.
Year two: his family of origin. (Let him figure out how to schedule everybody)
Year three: just your family. (If you have kids, they need their own family traditions. If it’s just you and husband, go to Barbados.)

This is what we do. We invite others to join the year we stay home but that hasn’t happened yet. At first I was angry and then sad that our families did not make the effort to come to us, but then I realized how much I love the quieter, easier years with just my little family. Now it is probably our favorite part of the rotation!