# Has Anyone's Family Ever Decided To Celebrate A Holiday In A Nontraditional Way?



## fmdog44 (Oct 25, 2019)

Or not to celebrate it at all? We hear stories of families celebrating Christmas by not spending any money on a tree and gifts giving money instead to food banks and the like. I think that is a cool idea by the way.  I wonder how kids would take it.


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## Trade (Oct 25, 2019)




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## hollydolly (Oct 25, 2019)

On a couple of occasions my husband and I both have spent the Christmas period working for crisis at Christmas in London, working with the homeless, for a week.
https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/christmas-volunteering-london/
Unfortunately due to work commitments or health problems  for  us some Christmases it's not possible for us to do it every year but we can give a day here or there.. .


Conversely, on the subject of having an alternate Chritmas to the norm, we have several times alo spent Chritmas on hot beaches.. it's very strange to be sitting on the beach in hot weather eating traditional Christmas fayre!


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## Ruth n Jersey (Oct 25, 2019)

I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in Florida when my daughter lived there. I just couldn't get into the spirit of it at all. Decorating the tree with the air conditioning running, seeing signs for places to order your pumpkin pie,picking out a tree in the heat. The things you won't do to be with the Grand kids. Thank goodness they moved up north.


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## 1955er (Oct 25, 2019)

Living in Phoenix at the time, I went to the drive-in on Christmas eve.


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## Capt Lightning (Oct 28, 2019)

On one occasion, we decided to have a more informal dinner instead of the usual turkey etc..  It did not go down well with the children.  If nothing else they like a very traditional meal on 25th. Dec., although we don't celebrate Christmas as such.  

I'd much prefer to celebrate the Winter Solstice,  but we don't eat as much!


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## Duster (Oct 28, 2019)

Though we still get together for dinner as families, we've stopped gift giving among adults and it is so much more enjoyable. The children still get gifts until they turn 16. Taking the emphasis of the holidays off presents and placing it on presence works for us.

One year my mother in law was in hospice and couldn't eat hardly anything, much less cook. We got asian take out food and it all worked out fine.


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## 911 (Oct 28, 2019)

I plan on sticking with tradition until the end. That does not mean that I have not given to those less fortunate during the holidays.


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