|
Post by leannec on Nov 24, 2016 21:03:55 GMT
Hey everyone! Here in Canada Thanksgiving is a so-so holiday ... we hold it in October and usually have turkey dinner but it is really no big deal Thanksgiving in the USA seems to be bigger than Christmas Christmas though, here in Canada, is a really big deal ... commercially and with family ... we just seem to love it ... maybe because we are in a winter climate Do you consider Thanksgiving or Christmas to be the more important holiday?
|
|
gsquaredmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,078
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
|
Post by gsquaredmom on Nov 24, 2016 21:08:10 GMT
In my family Christmas is bigger.
|
|
|
Post by padresfan619 on Nov 24, 2016 21:11:17 GMT
In my family Thanksgiving is a lot more low key and relaxed while Christmas has lots of expectations. I've been married for five years and have never spent a Christmas with my husband because both of our moms whine and cry about being away from us AND from their homes and traditions on Christmas. Drives us both nuts.
I prefer Thanksgiving over Christmas because I'm not guilted for an entire season.
|
|
|
Post by ntsf on Nov 24, 2016 21:14:52 GMT
thanksgiving is more food centered.. and everyone celebrates.. no matter what faith or no faith. the winter holidays are less universal, and less about that one day..that one meal. I personally find christmas way more important.. thanksgiving story is not told correctly --too many myths-- as I used to tell my kids.. the pilgrims did not come here to be friends with the natives or for religious freedom.. they came to show the world the "right way" to live. in 20 yrs.. all the sermons were about how the kids were not taking it seriously.
see Errand into the Wilderness by Perry. also, now we know that the natives had been wiped out by european disease.. so there was more land available to "conquer" as the local tribes had been decimated.
|
|
|
Post by birukitty on Nov 24, 2016 21:16:08 GMT
In my family Christmas is a bigger holiday by far. My Mom is German, father is American. Although she's been in this country since she was 25 (married to my father for 5 years) since 1965, she still doesn't quite "get" Thanksgiving and thinks it's a stupid holiday. But she's always prepared the traditional Turkey with some German food thrown in-red cabbage and dumplings. We have a great meal and an wonderful family get together. We do NOT watch football. We've never watched football in my family home, never! Figure skating yes, football, no. We talk, visit, and drink wine.
Christmas is a much bigger holiday. Always has been. Partially because Christmas is also celebrated in Germany and we've kept many of the traditions we celebrated in Germany when we lived there-I was 5 when we moved to the USA, my sister was 31/2. My two younger siblings were both born here. For instance we always celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. The entire celebration is on Christmas Eve, because that's the way it's done in Germany. Christmas Day we get together and celebrate my mother's birthday.
|
|
|
Post by Zee on Nov 24, 2016 21:27:01 GMT
I think Christmas is a much bigger deal to pretty much everyone. Even if you're not Christian, the Christmas season itself is a bigly yuge deal here--shopping, festivals, celebrations. I think we're changing a lot of that to be more inclusive, calling it the Holiday season and Holiday/Winter Festivals instead of just Christmas.
Thanksgiving is a nice day spent enjoying friends and family and eating too much. It generally is seen as the beginning of the Christmas/holiday season.
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 24, 2016 21:43:34 GMT
Christmas is a much bigger deal. Thanksgiving is/was all about the food and having a big traditional meal with family. All of our parents are gone now and my family has scattered to the wind and never does anything together anymore. DH's sister is a vegetarian and DH loves his turkey (plus they're polar opposites in every other way too) so getting together with them makes no sense to him, LOL.
My kid is little and still believes in Santa (or at least plays along) and so Christmas is a big, big deal. We do Elf on the Shelf, celebrate St. Nicholas Eve, watch all the kid Christmas shows on TV/DVD and read a bunch of Christmas story books, have multiple Advent calendars, have a real tree every year (and usually several smaller fake ones too), the whole nine yards. She's been talking about Christmas since before Halloween.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Nov 24, 2016 21:45:21 GMT
Thanksgiving is more family/food centered. Christmas is much bigger.
|
|
imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
|
Post by imsirius on Nov 24, 2016 21:52:23 GMT
I've been married for five years and have never spent a Christmas with my husband because both of our moms whine and cry about being away from us AND from their homes and traditions on Christmas. What? So does this mean your DH goes to his mom's and you go to yours? WHY? Can't they both come to your house? Seems a shame that you can't spend the day with your DH...I don't know how I'd handle that.
|
|
imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
|
Post by imsirius on Nov 24, 2016 21:54:07 GMT
the Christmas season itself is a bigly yuge deal here-- You and I seem to be getting so much mileage from this phrase LOVE IT!
|
|
|
Post by Zee on Nov 24, 2016 21:55:13 GMT
the Christmas season itself is a bigly yuge deal here-- You and I seem to be getting so much mileage from this phrase LOVE IT! Oh I'm working it into daily conversation. That and "Wrong! You're a four". It cracks me and DH right up.
|
|
imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
|
Post by imsirius on Nov 24, 2016 21:57:44 GMT
You and I seem to be getting so much mileage from this phrase LOVE IT! Oh I'm working it into daily conversation. That and "Wrong! You're a four". It cracks me and DH right up. My DH and I laugh too at Bogadacious (sp). He tries to put that into at least one sentence a day. It's like a competition now. haha.
|
|
|
Post by leannec on Nov 24, 2016 21:58:18 GMT
I've been married for five years and have never spent a Christmas with my husband because both of our moms whine and cry about being away from us AND from their homes and traditions on Christmas. What? So does this mean your DH goes to his mom's and you go to yours? WHY? Can't they both come to your house? Seems a shame that you can't spend the day with your DH...I don't know how I'd handle that. I agree ... time to have it at your place? Both my mum and my MIL come to our place or SIL's place ... depending on who is hosting dinner that year ... nobody is left out
|
|
|
Post by padresfan619 on Nov 24, 2016 22:00:26 GMT
I've been married for five years and have never spent a Christmas with my husband because both of our moms whine and cry about being away from us AND from their homes and traditions on Christmas. What? So does this mean your DH goes to his mom's and you go to yours? WHY? Can't they both come to your house? Seems a shame that you can't spend the day with your DH...I don't know how I'd handle that. Trust me, I have asked. They won't hear of it. It will change when we have kids, but for now we celebrate our Christmas together early.
|
|
|
Post by padresfan619 on Nov 24, 2016 22:02:11 GMT
What? So does this mean your DH goes to his mom's and you go to yours? WHY? Can't they both come to your house? Seems a shame that you can't spend the day with your DH...I don't know how I'd handle that. I agree ... time to have it at your place? Both my mum and my MIL come to our place or SIL's place ... depending on who is hosting dinner that year ... nobody is left out I have tried. They don't want to not have the holiday in their own homes. I wish my mom would agree to going to my mother in laws house because it is quite large and can handle our entire family comfortably. No one would have to stay in a hotel as my husband's siblings are local to his mom. It has made me adamant about being much more relaxed about holidays when I have adult children someday.
|
|
GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,292
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
|
Post by GiantsFan on Nov 24, 2016 22:06:40 GMT
In my family everyone attends Thanksgiving dinner. The only pass is if you are on duty - ie. FF, LEO, 911 dispatch, nurse duty, etc. And if you have no where to go then come on over because "No one should be alone at Thanksgiving", says my Mother.
Our Christmas is much more low key. Quick and easy meal with a game and gift exchange on Christmas Eve, then Christmas Day you are free to do whatever you want. And yes, we are a Christian family.
ETA: to clarify that if you had to work any job on Thanksgiving you would get a pass. In our family everyone has jobs where they have Thanksgiving off except the above mentioned.
|
|
|
Post by Zee on Nov 24, 2016 22:08:54 GMT
Oh I'm working it into daily conversation. That and "Wrong! You're a four". It cracks me and DH right up. My DH and I laugh too at Bogadacious (sp). He tries to put that into at least one sentence a day. It's like a competition now. haha. You nasty woman.
|
|
|
Post by littlemama on Nov 24, 2016 22:10:37 GMT
Thanksigivng seems bigger because it is the kickoff to Christmas. We give thanks for what we have and then go out the next day and buy more stuff. Thanksgiving now seems more food and family/friends focused while sadly, Christmas now has become about stuff.
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Nov 24, 2016 22:12:11 GMT
Thanksgiving is pretty low-key here - especially now it's just the 4 of us - we streamed the parade and I made a big dinner and we'll have dessert later but that's it really.
Christmas is a whole season for us...starting this Sunday with the beginning of Advent and continuing through Epiphany (and then we actually keep the nativities up until Candlemas) so it's a bigger deal both meaning-wise and time-wise...6 weeks between Advent and Christmas
|
|
tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979
Jun 27, 2014 18:32:45 GMT
|
Post by tduby1 on Nov 24, 2016 22:33:56 GMT
What? So does this mean your DH goes to his mom's and you go to yours? WHY? Can't they both come to your house? Seems a shame that you can't spend the day with your DH...I don't know how I'd handle that. Trust me, I have asked. They won't hear of it. It will change when we have kids, but for now we celebrate our Christmas together early. I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around this. You are both adults, you sound as if you are both opposed to this, so what is stopping you from saying, "nope, we are staying home" or "we will alternate". You are adults. This is YOUR desicion to make, not theirs.
|
|
|
Post by padresfan619 on Nov 24, 2016 22:47:52 GMT
Trust me, I have asked. They won't hear of it. It will change when we have kids, but for now we celebrate our Christmas together early. I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around this. You are both adults, you sound as if you are both opposed to this, so what is stopping you from saying, "nope, we are staying home" or "we will alternate". You are adults. This is YOUR desicion to make, not theirs. Neither of us want to hurt our moms. It is easier to appease them than it is to object and make a point. I have lost all of my grandparents, have no aunts or uncles, and I'm estranged from my only first cousin. This is the only family I have so I deal.
|
|
|
Post by scrapmaven on Nov 24, 2016 23:43:57 GMT
Thanksgiving is a big deal in both of our families. Since I cut off ties w/my entire family except my sister, and my parents are gone, my holiday is a no-brainer. I'm sorry that you and your Dh have to split up on a holiday. Do you do something small and nice together beforehand?
|
|
|
Post by ntsf on Nov 24, 2016 23:52:48 GMT
when I was first married, we split for christmas.. I went home and dh went to his family. it made us all happy. in 30 yrs.. we have spent a few with his side, even fewer with my parents.. and now mostly at home... I loved splitting.. cause my family is religious, so I went to christmas eve service.. did christmas my way.. and when I go to his family.. I can't go to church and it is very different. but thats ok
|
|
Sarah*H
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,977
Jun 25, 2014 20:07:06 GMT
|
Post by Sarah*H on Nov 24, 2016 23:57:43 GMT
Thanksgiving is one holiday we haven't managed to commercialize yet so it has a very different feel than Christmas. It's the biggest traveling holiday - more people will go "home" for Thanksgiving than for Christmas and it's a holiday that EVERYONE can share (if you let go of the mythology) because we all have something to be thankful for. In my family, I don't know that I would say Thanksgiving is the bigger holiday but it's the more meaningful one. My brother came home to visit in October and we didn't have early Christmas, we had early Thanksgiving. Christmas, even with the best of intentions, is often frenetic and so filled with expectations and obligations.
|
|
|
Post by padresfan619 on Nov 25, 2016 0:46:23 GMT
when I was first married, we split for christmas.. I went home and dh went to his family. it made us all happy. in 30 yrs.. we have spent a few with his side, even fewer with my parents.. and now mostly at home... I loved splitting.. cause my family is religious, so I went to christmas eve service.. did christmas my way.. and when I go to his family.. I can't go to church and it is very different. but thats ok Every one else being happy is much more important to me right now. My family is very small so it makes a difference. I don't have aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents.
|
|
|
Post by anxiousmom on Nov 25, 2016 0:47:22 GMT
We have a lot of family near by so we all get together fairly regularly. I don't think, at least for us, that it is bigger than Christmas.
There were 12 of us at my moms, and another 14 next door st my aunts with a good bit of intermingling between the two. Pretty much the same happens st Christmas. And st my moms it was only one brother and his family, me and my family and my dither and her boyfriend. Christmas tends to be all of us-I have three sisters and a brother. We are many. lol
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 25, 2016 0:51:34 GMT
You and I seem to be getting so much mileage from this phrase LOVE IT! Oh I'm working it into daily conversation. That and "Wrong! You're a four". It cracks me and DH right up. The one I want to start using is, "I'm not a puppet. YOU'RE a puppet!"
|
|
|
Post by Zee on Nov 25, 2016 0:55:43 GMT
Oh I'm working it into daily conversation. That and "Wrong! You're a four". It cracks me and DH right up. The one I want to start using is, "I'm not a puppet. YOU'RE a puppet!" Tee hee! The only campaign commercial I miss is the one where he states that it's very hard for a flat-chested woman to be a ten. I've been snickering about that since my mastectomy. I should find it offensive, but I just find it so old-fashioned and stupid that I can't help but laugh.
|
|
|
Post by Zee on Nov 25, 2016 0:56:33 GMT
Sorry, OP. Is there a derail smiley?
|
|
|
Post by anxiousmom on Nov 25, 2016 1:25:55 GMT
Oh I'm working it into daily conversation. That and "Wrong! You're a four". It cracks me and DH right up. The one I want to start using is, "I'm not a puppet. YOU'RE a puppet!" We (my family) are all like minded and we called each other puppets all day. lol
|
|