If you have both sides of family nearby, how do you handle..

We don't have kids, but we split our time with both. Since they are both local, there's really no reason for us not to. It will be even easier this year since we moved back closer again.

We live 1000 miles away from our families now, but this is what we did when we lived in the same town. For Thanksgiving, we split up the day. We would spend 2 or 3 hours with my side first, having a 4pm dinner. So I would be there to help prep the meal. Then after we finished eating, we would race over the dh's family and spend the next 2-3 hours over there, having a late dinner. We would just eat a little at each family, so we didn't stuff ourselves. I have to admit, that those days were very stressful. We did a lot of running around, and were always exhausted. Mother's Day was never fun, because I never got to do anything for me. But I am thankful that we did split the time between both families.

Now that we live away from families, we just relax and cook at home. Now we alternate years for when we go back to visit for Christmas. We do this because I want to kids to be able to spend Christmas at home every other year. Traveling during that time of the year is never fun.

We alternate Thanksgiving. One year with DH's family and one year with my brother's family. On the year, we aren't with family, we make plans to spend some time with them during the weekend of Thanksgiving.

For Christmas we always do Christmas afternoon with DH's mom. She's the only living grandparent for my kids. We pick a different day to get together with other parts of the family, so we end up with three celebrations.

I'm lucky because I'm an only child with just my mum in the picture so she just tags along to all the events with dh's family   

MIL will host smaller gatherings like Canadian Thanksgiving at her place but Christmas is rotated between SIL's and our house each year because we both have the space ... it's our turn this time which is fun and stress filled  

Our families has specific days to celebrate, even if it is not on the actual day. On Thanksgiving, my family always celebrates the Saturday before. My husband's family celebrates on the actual day. For Christmas, we go to my dad's (he lives two hours away) the weekend before Christmas. Then we celebrate with my family on the night of the 22nd and the day of the 23rd. Then we go to my sister-in-law's on the 24th and my husband's family gets together on Christmas day. I know it sounds confusing and like we're rushing around but it works out really well. We have the whole day wherever we are and everyone is so used to the days, it would seem strange to do it any other way now! Oh, the Friday before Easter we color eggs at my mom's then go back Saturday for an Easter dinner then we celebrate the actual holiday with my husband's family. My mom is actually the one to suggest we set specific days and stick to them. This works for her because she doesn't mind if we celebrate on the actual day and it creates a whole lot less stress for my sister and I.

My grandmother reigned supreme on holidays. Everybody went to her house. Inlaws outlaws everybody.

When she died they started sharing dinners but only family and then slowly that started breakng up. Then it became all about my father ( bi-polar) who hated holidays but loved the show of it. If my brother went somewhere else for even an hour. Well. That is a whole other story

We live on the opposite coast and celebrate here.

For Thanksgiving and Easter, we take turns. For Christmas, we spend Christmas Eve with DH's family and Christmas day with mine.

We take turns for Thanksgiving. This year it's with my family, next year will be with DH's family. Christmas is a little crazier. MIL graciously moved their family Christmas Eve dinner to the 23rd. She preferred doing that so everyone could get together every year, rather than only have people every other year. So we do the 23rd with DH's family and the 24th with my family. We still see everyone on Christmas day though. So we open presents in the morning, then head over to the inlaws at about 11 for brunch and opening presents with them. Then we head to my moms by about 4 for a light dinner and presents with my side of the family. By the 26th, we are all ready to retreat to our own houses and not see each other again for a while! lol!

We are having an early Thanksgiving the weekend before with my DH's family and will have dinner at our house on Thanksgiving Day. My family will be invited and whoever is able to come will.
Christmas Eve is spent with my family, Christmas evening with DH's family. We choose not to go to Christmas dinner with my family because there are over 40 people at my aunt's and too much activity for us.

My mother-in-law and father-in-law are no longer alive, but when they were we would alternate years. Christmas Eve at my parents, Christmas Day at my husband's parents one year, next year it would flip.

After his parents both passed away, my husband and his siblings decided that we would all get together over Christmas. That could be trh 26th, 27th, 28th, whatever day worked best for everyone.

Now I am the mother-in-law and we have adopted the alternate year plan. This is the first year my son's will both go to their in-laws for Christmas Day. It will be different, we have never done it before. But as situations change we have to change and adapt to it as well. I don't ever want to put my son's in the position where they have to choose or cause issues with their wives. So as much as I will be sad, I am sucking it up, putting on a happy face and we will spend Christmas Eve with all of them.

And go to my sister's Christmas Day.

DH isn't super close with is family so we'll see my BIL and his family on Christmas Eve.  We go to my sister's for Christmas Day & Easter.  Thanksgiving we like to stay home by ourselves.

We split our time. Luckily, most Jewish holidays have at least two nights of celebration so we spend one night with one side and the other night with the other side. Our families are good about inviting the other side along if there is only one day of celebration and we all want to be together.

Paige.

We alternate. One year Thanksgiving with ILs/Christmas with my mom. Next year Thanksgiving with my mom/Christmas with ILs.

It is a HUGE problem with my mother, because I'm her only family and my MIL doesn't really like her or sharing us with my mother. I don't like leaving my mother alone every other Christmas, I have to because of the "deal" that was struck when we were married. 

MIL has three kids, and always has someone to spend the holidays with. My mother doesn't see this as fair, so she is particularly unpleasant around this time of year (aside from the fact that my step-dad died just before Christmas.)