Anybody here that does not get together with family at Thanksgiving and Christmas? Have you started your own tradition?

My girlfriend & I are in our 50’s, never married, no kids. In recent years we have spent Thanksgiving with her aunt (just the three of us). We spent Christmas Eve with girlfriends father and Christmas Day with the same aunt.

Girlfriend’s dad starts hospice care on Monday. The aunt is doing well, but she is 86..

I was informed tonight on the way home that we need to come up with new holiday traditions for when it becomes just the two of us. Anyone here in a similar situation?

When i was a kid Thanksgiving was a booooooooooooooring affair. Everyone prim and proper in their best Sunday clothes. Family went to a bible thumping Great Aunts house that was so straight Jesus himself would tell her to lighten up. No fun whatsoever. I dreaded it like the plague. Now days the men all hang out in front of the shop drinking beer, smoking cigars, and telling loud nasty jokes. We have a damn good time the kids run around like savages until they fall asleep. Adults non stop laughing and lots of spirits drank. I love thanksgiving so much no we usually do one in July too.

Me and my three boys have a shooting contest every Thanksgiving.

Ten shots with a 22LR rifle. 20 yards. No scopes, but peeps yes. Best score is the grand champion for the year with bragging rights. We have a professional plaque that shows past winners. It’s a serious contest, but fun. We take marksmanship seriously.

It’s my way to make sure we always meet up for Thanksgiving. It works.

My brother & his wife do Thanksgiving with her family on Saturday. So, on Thanksgiving Day they host what they lovingly call “Thanksgiving for misfit toys” or something like that. They invite friends and family who don’t have anything better to do to their home for a meal. This year they had 8 people.

They live 3 hours away, and in talking about it I learned what my gal really wants to do is start a new tradition at home - she has traveled for Thanksgiving all of her adult life and she wants to start something here where we live.

I am starting to see a picture in the ol’ crystal ball of my future Thanksgivings.....something like participating in a Turkey Trot 5k run/walk in the morning, then making lasagna together and maybe inviting a few misfit friends over for dinner. That don’t sound so bad.

If left to my own devices, I would probably spend the morning drinking coffee in my chair, and the rest of the day at the reloading bench. I would take a break to make a sandwich and listen to Alice’s Restaurant, of course. 😁