Thanksgiving when both sets of parents are in DC

[Anonymous]

Curious to know what others do when both sets of parents are close by. In the past, we have alternated, with siblings and counsins included in each parents' respective year. Now we have more room to accommodate both sides together, but I'm inclined to continue alternating because I find it more enjoyable and relaxing to have a relatively smaller group. If both sides of your family all live here, what do you do?

[Anonymous]

We did combined. Don't mind the combined holidays, but it gets tricky when everyone starts inviting "just one more." If you can keep crowd control down, a simple combined family holiday can work pretty well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did combined. Don't mind the combined holidays, but it gets tricky when everyone starts inviting "just one more." If you can keep crowd control down, a simple combined family holiday can work pretty well.

This. We do combined Thanksgiving and combined Christmas Day (in the afternoon after presents have been opened). We've had to keep crowd control down but within reason. Thanksgiving started as just DH, me, my parents and brother, DH's parents. SIL spent Thanksgiving with fiance's family and her son if she had him that year. Now, Thanksgiving is DH, me, DS, my parents and brother, his boyfriend for dessert, SIL, BIL, nephew if he's there for that holiday, and SIL's in laws. At Christmas, replace SIL's in laws for DH's uncle and aunt and FIL's cousin and wife. We've put our foot down at this point.

[Anonymous]

We do combined at our house and we love it!

[Anonymous]

We sort of alternate, but DH's family often moves TG celebration to Friday or Saturday anyway to accommodate one of his sisters, in which case we get two TG dinners, which is awesome.

[Anonymous]

Combined.

[Anonymous]

I have wonderful memories of combined TGs growing up..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We sort of alternate, but DH's family often moves TG celebration to Friday or Saturday anyway to accommodate one of his sisters, in which case we get two TG dinners, which is awesome.

Same here.

[Anonymous]

Whatever you do, don't do what we do- we go to our hometown where we are both from and are ping pong balls. We've had two Thanksgiving meals, two Christmas meals for 20 years. It sucks. We've tried doing the alternating and even the one family gets Christmas Eve and one gets Christmas but IL are so passive aggressive- oh, we thought we'd see you on Christmas, we have the gifts for the kids type crap that we just deal with it. If BILs weren't such jerks it would work well but again, the passive aggressive behavior isn't worth dealing with. If I had it my way, we've put our foot down but DH says it isn't worth the drama. It su-ucks.

[Anonymous]

You could invite everybody, but only do that if you want to. Otherwise you could alternate years.

DH and I both have family in this area but we never, ever combine them. I can't stand how MIL grills my family for fodder.

[Anonymous]

We alternate T-day and Easter.

[Anonymous]

We double dip! My MIL and Mother are totally different people. We've tried combined, but it doesn't' really work.

My mom still has the big house and my whole family usually shows up there for dinner. My husband, an only child, has his mom come over for lunch. I think it is lame to cook a big meal for just one extra one person, but it's keeps the peace and we get left overs.

My brother also double dips. His in laws are in Springfield and parent in Fairfax. I could see us doing something with his inlaws and our parents. They get along well.

I also have lots of local distance cousins and something we have an extended thanksgiving based on deployments and health issues.

[Anonymous]

Dinner with one set, dessert with another. Switch the next year.