Do you celebrate on christmas day? - how many places do you have to go?

jacobsmama wrote: Just curious...we do celebrate on christmas day but my mom just recently changed hers to the Sunday before christmas which I was very upset about but has actually helps out because our parents are both divorced and remarried so we had lots of places to go and always felt like we had to rush and now that we have Jacob I want to be able to take our time on this joyous day and season. We still have to go 2 places but it helps out. So do you all celebrate christmas day with your families like, mom, dads etc or how does that work? Or how many places do you have to go?

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: I live in Idaho. My parents live in Oklahoma and Aaron's parents live in Indiana. It is too far to travel on Christmas. So this year I am driving down to get my grandmother for 5 days. She will stay with us and we finally have family here for Christmas.

MommyToAshley replied: I really try to keep Christmas day for just our family (DH, Ashley and myself). We've gone places on Christmas day in previous years, but I would rather keep it just us. We have my side of the family's get together on the 23rd, and then DH's side of the family on the 24th... works out nicely that way.

CantWait replied: Before I was with Ron, we would do Christmas Eve at my grandmas, and Christmas day at my mom's house.

The last couple years when we're in Ontario, Ron, the kids and I spent Christmas Eve at Ron's parents, and Christmas at my parents.

Now that we're so far away from family, all our time is spent at home. When Robbie was little we'd celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, but now that he's older, we do it on the 25.

holley79 replied: Do you really want to know??

Well DH has a VERY extended family. We aren't going anywhere this year because I will still either be prego or have a very newborn attached to us.

Usually we have to go to the following:

DH's biological father's house
DH's dad that raised him house
DH's mom's house
Then my parent's house.

Usually it is broke up over a two day period. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I don't want to have to do so much running around as Annika gets older. I want to be able to let her open her presents and enjoy them instead of "Hurry open your gifts, sorry you can't play with them right now we are going to granny's."

CAMSMOM1 replied: I get so stressed around the holidays. Now having our baby things get more stressful and hectic.
My parents are divorced, and my DH'S parents are divorced. So 4 sides of the family, and they all have their gatherings on the 24th and 25th. Everyone wants to see us, well actually they want to see our son! But I don't find it enjoyable anymore. Are time is divided up so much, and trying to rush around everywhere. And then our son doesn't have a nap, so he's not in a good mood. I wish we could spread things out some more so we can actually relax and enjoy ourselves! But they are all stuck on tradtions and no one wants to budge.
Hopefully I can find some R&R during the holidays!

Ann

3xsthefun replied: Well I have alot of family lives around here. My husband only has his parents pretty much. His sister lives in Virginia, I'm not sure if she will be coming here or not.

Usually we go to one of my grandma's houses and celebrate on Christmas Eve. We have also gone to my parents house on Christams Eve or they came to our house.

We go to my other grandma's house on Christmas and go to his parents house. We usually eat with my grandma and my other family members.

This year I really have no idea where all we are going. I'd rather just stay home Christmas and let everyone come to us.

jcc64 replied: Christmas Eve is a BIG party at my house- friends, family, lots of food and drink.
Christmas Day is quieter- just dh, my kids, and my mom. Try to let them just chill out and enjoy all the gifts.
We usually visit dh's family the day after.
Used to do the running from house to house thing- but I put my foot down. It wasn't fun, and everybody just has to be a little more flexible about which day(s) we celebrate on.

Kaitlin'smom replied: well if both siade had there way we would be haveing 3 in one day, sorry no way not gonna happen again. We did before Kait and I hated it, open eat leave, eat open leave never had any time to enjoy anything. We started a few years ago rotating which family we see on christmas neighter side is happy about it but sorry I dont want to rush Kait. So this year we have our christmas on christmas morning just DH, Kait and I then we will leave to go to MIL about 2 hours away and then the next morning drive home drop gifts off pick up more and off to my sisters. We normally do christmas eve with one side and it was to be my side this year but since 3 of them are going to the game we have to do it on the 26th

I kinda like the idas M2A has...wonder if I could pull that off

C&K*s Mommie replied: DH's grandparents house (now they live in Georgia)
back to DH's mom's house (of course! )
And if time permits or on the next day, DH's biological fathers' house (they understand we are usually pressed for time--but I always feel guilty about putting them last )

mammag replied: It depends on who is in town. If it is just my side then his mom will come with us to my parents or to my house if we are having it here. If his sister is in town we will have two (which is usually going out to eat on Christmas Eve with them).

b&bsmom replied: Well let's see. Christmas Eve is my favorite part of the holiday. We go to my parents church and dh's aunts house. We used to have two or three other stops but people have moved. Then Christmas day we have Christmas here, we go to my parents and have Christmas and breakfast and then we come home for a little bit and go to dh's parents to do Christmas early before the family comes over for dinner. Believe it or not we never feel rushed and I love visiting everyone. (it helps my parents are 20 min away and dh's parents are 2min away ..lol..) I love doing it this way it has changed a little. Before we had kids My dh and I would be at my parents with my sister at 6 or 7 am Dh thought it was crazy. and then we would go to his parents and then do christmas here but now with the kids we do here first. We still make it to my parents by 8 or so.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS

MamaJAM replied: We always go over to my parents for dinner on the 25th - my brother's family comes too and we give his kids their Christmas gifts that day. (Normally - we get together with my brother's family some time during Hanukkah so they can give our kids gifts.)
We don't get together with ILs at all around that time....too many issues there.

This year - I'm not sure how we're doing things since Hanukkah begins at sunset on Dec 25. Especially the first and last nights of Hanukkah are a big deal in our family - and we will be home having our own private celebrations both nights. And sunset is around 4:30pm right now -- so that makes dinner at my parent's impossible....and I know my brother's family can't come over too early in the day (and my mother hates doing big meals early in the day).

3_call_me_mama replied: We do christmas here with my inlaws on christmas eve. Thna christmas morning we do christmas with teh kids and theinlaws are still here for hat then at 11 ish or so on christmas day we go to my moms and do gifts and then dinner at 2. My inlaws go there with us. Being that DH is an ONLY they kind of just follow us around, and it works well casue they get along great with my parents and siblings. We tried doing everythgin on christmas morning one year and it was a mess. cameron was SO overwhelmed that he fell asleep befoer even opening gifts at my moms and and was cranky all day. Last year this worked great so we're gonna keep doing it.

coasterqueen replied: Christmas Eve is always with Ryan's family. Since his family is very blended Christmas Eve is the only night everyone gets their kids. We take turns on whose having it, this year it's MIL's turn.

Christmas Day is always at my grandparents home. We do our only little family thing in the morning and then go over there for lunch. Later in the evening is Dh's extended family and then to my parent's house for gift opening. It's a crazy day, but we've always done it that way since we were little. Except it was different family before Dh came along. We never felt like we missed out on one-on-one family time and actually looked forward to our many "mini" trips that day.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: We are doing brunch on Christmas with my mom, step-dad, sisters and their families then I will be home with the kids after and dh will go to work. It used to be crazy but moving away from everyone has calmed that down a bit.

jacobsmama replied: very neat...everyone..Glad to know i'm not the only one running like crazy......


I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mom2Boyz replied: We are all over the place on Christmas day
We get up in the morning and open presents here at our house, then go to Larrys parents for breakfast. We usually stay there for a few hours then drive to my Dads and celebrate with them. Then we come back home and celebrate with my Mom. It's really crazy all day, but it's worth it to me to be able to see all of our family that day.

PhiMuMommy replied: we celebrate with my sisters family a few days before christmas, he goes to his dad's on christmas eve for their family and then opens santa and my presents with me on christmas moring then it's off to my grandmas for my mom's bday/ extendeds christmas a few days after.. (my moms bday is the 28th of dec.)