Do You Get Excited to See Your Family on Thanksgiving?

November 15, 2009

Many people consider spending time with family the best thing about Thanksgiving. In our busy lives, we don't find much time to cook, eat, drink, and catch up with loved ones.

Of course, not everyone has dream families — some relatives can be rude, non-accepting, or just generally overwhelming. Since Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, I want to know if you're looking forward to some quality family time.

Source: Getty

25 Comments

trinitycc 3 years

I'm driving 4 hours Thursday morning to see my mother, sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, etc. I can't wait!

3 years

I often jokingly complain about my family, but I realize how lucky I am to have a family that gets along so well. My mom is the oldest of 6 so the whole extended family (25-30 people)comes up from CT to NH for the long Thanksgiving wnkd with tons of food, football and trivial pursuit. Its a full weekend with a 5k race on the morning of thanksiving and head to the shops on black friday for sales-tax free shopping. They drive me crazy sometimes, but I love our traditions.

Briandiesel 3 years

I love my family. But I see them more than enough during the year that it almost seems dumb that I'm forced to go spend time with them when I would rather just go somewhere fun. This year, I put my foot down and am going to be in Wolf Creek with friends :)

lexichloe 3 years

My family time is always OVERWHELMING...but I still look forward to our time together...The holidays wouldn't be the holidays w/out stress. ;)

chloe bella 3 years

I put "no." I'm excited to see my parents and grandpa, but my extended family is a nightmare. It's one of those situations where my dad and his siblings just can't get along, so family dinners are always really strange and awkward.

GlowingMoon 3 years

Some family members, yes. :)

GlowingMoon 3 years

Some family members, yes. :)

Frenched 3 years

It depends. I try to alternate between my in-law's family and my own family each Thanksgiving. This year, it was my family's turn but it turns out that my mom's company (Walmart) is making her work Thanksgiving's Day AND Black Friday. They were even considering making the employees work Christmas Day (but they didn't go that far, thank God.) Since my mom's not going to do anything, I'm going to spend with the in-law's again. They're a very nice family, but nothing beats spending the holidays with your own family. That and his family is HUGE and LOUD. I tend to get a bit nervous in situations like that, but it's all OK.

hypnoticmix 3 years

I'm not thrilled about the location. For the past three years my family has made the trek to Queen Creek Az. a city in the boonies out side of Phoenix where my brother lives with his family. I'm a city boy and I hate the fact that I'm trapped there for a week, lol. I've always enjoyed Thanksgiving. I've always cooked for TG since the age of seven too. It's hilarious when I walk into the kitchen all the women mysteriously disappear to go shopping and I find my self in the kitchen making the whole thing. I love seeing the nephews/nieces and grand nephews/nieces. We have our political, sports and religious arguments but the important part is their healthy arguments every one agrees to disagree if need be nothing ever gets too heated.

hypnoticmix 3 years

doogirl 3 years

I'm in between. This year we're doing Thanksgiving with my husband's family, and as much as I like them, I wish I was seeing my own but that's a whole other story. Most of my in-laws live in the same town as I do, so seeing them isn't really that out of the ordinary. But I love the day after Thanksgiving, not for the shopping, but I go over to my girlfriends' house and all of us friends who have known each other forever but live far apart, get together and eat leftovers! That day rocks!

runningesq 3 years

Yes -- love my family (immediate and extended... although we're a small family even with everyone all together.).. plus, my mom and aunt are GREAT cooks! this year, though, me, my husband, my parents, and my sister and BIL will all be in COZUMEL, Mexico for my first Ironman! Elocin -- enjoy the holiday! I remember holidays during law school... I know you probably have some studying to do, esp. with finals coming up, but take some time to relax! and while you're relaxing, don't stress about NOT studying !

runningesq 3 years

Yes -- love my family (immediate and extended... although we're a small family even with everyone all together.).. plus, my mom and aunt are GREAT cooks!this year, though, me, my husband, my parents, and my sister and BIL will all be in COZUMEL, Mexico for my first Ironman!Elocin -- enjoy the holiday! I remember holidays during law school... I know you probably have some studying to do, esp. with finals coming up, but take some time to relax! and while you're relaxing, don't stress about NOT studying !

elocin85 3 years

Yes, definitely. I'm going to law school far from home, and I jump at any chance to see the fam.

nyxmoxie 3 years

No way. I grew up with crazy parents. Growing up my friends have felt more like family than my own parents. I'm an only child so I didn't have siblings to lean on during the hard times. My extended family is all right, they've never done anything to me. I just don't really get along with my parents that much because of how hurtful they were to me growing up. They were emotionally and verbally abusive, my mom has tried to change as she's gotten older and that has helped our relationship somewhat. But for the most part I try to spend the holidays with good friends.

ManiMartinixo 3 years

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it focuses more on the family that what the family bought each other. This will be my first Thanksgiving away from my family (I'll be spending it wit my boyfriend and his friends) and I'm completely heartbroken over it. I love my boyfriend and haven't seen him for a month but there's no place like home for the holidays.

staple salad 3 years

I love it! That's why I always get super disappointed when my parents tell me that we'll be having a small dinner at home (or worse, at Dennies). I want the big family party dagnabbit!

HoneyBrown1976 3 years

No, because it's my husband's family. My family is on the East Coast; so, no I don't spend the holidays with them. I miss them a lot during this season.

Studio16 3 years

Absolutely! We moved away from my family when I was a little kid, so I don't see my extended family very often. My grandparents come visit for a few days and we just have a blast.

totygoliguez 3 years

When it comes to my immediate family I love it! But when it comes to seeing my extended family is not that fun. The reason is that we are too many people, my mom heats half of her siblings, my grand mother and some of my aunts love to criticized everyone and everything they do, and I have this cousin who loves making a scene every year. So spending time with my family in Christmas( that's the important holiday in our family) is a big pain in the neck. Just for the record 90 or 80 people meet in my grand mother's house for Christmas, it can be too overwhelming.

bethinabox 3 years

Yes! I love getting together with my family. I feel really lucky that my family gets along very well and they aren't embarrassing at all, I really love them. I think this year for Thanksgiving it's just going to be me, my mom, my brother, and maybe an aunt and uncle are coming up, I'm not sure. But I'm also really excited for Christmas, because we'll most likely go down to Pittsburgh where everyone lives so we'll get to see all of them! :)

kia 3 years

My father has visited me and my husband for the last few thanksgivings and it is a lot of fun to hang with him and our close friends. Growing up I had a really abusive mother and I dreaded holidays because she always got really violent on them. Being in a relationship with my husband has made me learn to appreciate them and the rituals we have created in our time together. Holidays are actually fun as an adult.

MissSushi 3 years

Yes, but that's because its my immediate family only... If it was basicaly anyone on my dads side of the family, or too much extended I wouldn't. It would be agonizing.. None of them are very nice or accepting and they hero worship boys and since my immediate family and the grandkids are predominantly girls, we get treated like crap. No thanks.

soapbox 3 years

Sometimes. My family isn't really that close and this year, I don't think we're doing anything. My mother doesn't even want to cook, or even drive anywhere. In my family, as bad as this sounds, the bigger holiday this year is Black Friday. My brother and I are already planning out our routes for Black Friday, and we didn't even brush the topic of Thanksgiving.

tlsgirl 3 years

Yep, seeing my family and hanging out is why I like Thanksgiving. All the eating and whatever isn't really the fun part.

Link Love

25 Comments