What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

What's Normal? - Do you typically host Thanksgiving? (1 Viewer)

Do you typically host Thanksgiving?

  • Host/stay home with family

    Votes: 59 46.5%

  • Go to someone else's home

    Votes: 65 51.2%

  • Don't celebrate

    Votes: 3 2.4%
  • Total voters
    127
We used to host then wifes oldest sister passed. Other 2 moved to Florida, my parents snow bird in Florida now, so i go to my sisters house
 
We always go to my in-laws. However, when they pass away (or mother-in-law is unable to prepare a huge meal) we will likely be hosting it. My wife has tried to pick it up the last couple of years, but her mom won't let go of the tradition.
 
We host 4 (me, wifey, our son and my brother) since everyone else lives out of state or at the bottom of the state and then we visit my wife's relatives (at the bottom of the state) on the weekend for an informal, coffee and dessert type of thing.
 
Been married 24 years. 18 of those years thanksgiving has been at the in laws. Wife’s sister and brother and their families are 10-20 minutes from their parents so it’s fairly easy. I’d rather drive 2 hours each way than host anyway.
 
-OZ- said:
Been married 24 years. 18 of those years thanksgiving has been at the in laws. Wife’s sister and brother and their families are 10-20 minutes from their parents so it’s fairly easy. I’d rather drive 2 hours each way than host anyway.
Click to expand...

I'm lucky that even if we don't host we are at most a 30 minutes ride from somebody's home that will. We have the most room by far of anyone (having 6 people and 2 dogs) so it's natural for us to host - it's just an added bonus that I have my man cave with wet bar and whiskey to hang out in if/when the crazy starts.
 
My youngest aunt typically hosts. She has the best set-up for it. Most everyone except one cousin's crew and me live within 20 minutes, so it's the most convenient. I'm not going this year - she's serving later than usual on Thursday and I need to be in the office early Friday.
 
Our family is scattered a bit, so the last few years we've just gotten together someplace kind of random. Last year it was New Orleans for Bills-Saints. This year its New Mexico because our daughter goes to school down there. Kind of fun tbh.
 
Kinda neither. Used to go to the in-laws. Then we started going to the AFB mess hall. Last year it was just wife, son, and me. I suppose that might fall under "host" but it's more like any other day but with more (too much) food. Wanting to go out to a restaurant this year but that seems unlikely.
 
Typically host but since the MIL is on a trip to the far east for the next month we are not hosting this year and will be going to some friends that live local. Voted typically host as this is an atypical year.
 
'Go to someone else's house' Would prefer to host... but my FIL will not leave his house for holidays. So, we take tons of food over there, because MIL is getting too old to do much cooking. At least we can leave when we want.
 
We used to go to the nursing home my mom is at on my side, but after covid we don't get together anymore. On my wife's side, it is just her and her mother left (we lost her brother who was never married and father in back to back years). Now we just have it at our house and all of our kids & spouses and Mother in law come over. Kids are getting old enough it is time to start shifting to going to their houses, but I still enjoy the cooking and having all the kids and now grandkids in the house, so I am not ready to give that up quite yet
 
It is traditionally "my holiday." I most often host. This year, due to my father's health (and parents driving after dark), my parents will be hosting. I am not too happy about it because i work on friday. but.... am thankful that we did not lose my father this year after a stroke and heart surgery.
 
Travel for Thanksgiving & Christmas (well, day after Christmas - stay at home for the actual day). Switch between my parents and in-laws each year, though that all got screwed up the last few years with Covid
 
Host. Have been hosting for the past 3 or 4 years since hosting became too much work for both mom and MIL. Before we started hosting, we went to dinner at my parents house and then to my wife’s parents for another dinner. Hosting 20-25 people is work but it’s more enjoyable than trying to fit both dinners into the day. It was always too much food, and leaving early from one place and arriving late to the other was annoying. The most difficult part now is trying to get my BILs three grown boys to let us know if they are coming and if they are bringing girlfriends. BIL has been divorced for ten years and it’s the same thing every year. Three boys and potentially three girlfriends makes a big difference in planning food and seating.
 
We typically host Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year we're traveling for Thanksgiving because my SIL and her fiancé recently moved into a new house and wanted to host. Since we have the only kids in the family, we do Christmas at home every year. It's an open-door. Any family member is welcome...we just aren't traveling.
 
Used to be at MiL but since moving, it's just me and the wife at home. Perfect!
Not sure how to vote but went with Host/stay home with family
 
We always host. This year, I'll have two fraternity brothers coming as well, so the head count is north of 14 last count. That's fine, I'm a bit of a control freak and my wife is a vegan, so it's just easier for us to control the process.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so I'm more than happy to play host. My nightmare scenario played out 25 years ago when I went to my aunts. She wouldn't let us turn on football. That was the end of me going somewhere where the games aren't on and accessible.
 
Drunken knight said:
It is traditionally "my holiday." I most often host. This year, due to my father's health (and parents driving after dark), my parents will be hosting. I am not too happy about it because i work on friday. but.... am thankful that we did not lose my father this year after a stroke and heart surgery.
Click to expand...

... to add, that since this is typically my favorite holiday- we will be hosting a friendsgiving on Saturday for about 15 of us. just wish i had nfl on all day for that one.
 
Rotate Thanksgiving and Christmas for side of the families, but never host (families all too scattered). When my side, will travel up to NJ to visit my mom. For my wife’s side, the past few times have done AirBNB. My wife has a sister that lives in Charlotte, and her parents are retired. So, her parents fly out to the east coast, and then we all meet up halfway. This year, got an AirBNB in the Smith Mountain Lake area.
 
We host thanksgiving and Christmas. 30+ people. Its my favorite holiday. Everyone is in a good mood. The weather is usually mild. Food, football, family, fun.

The only thing that's changed is we now play flag football instead of tackle.
 
FatMax said:
It was a fight, but we finally wrestled it away from my in-laws about three years ago. And now we get to have turkey that isn't bone dry. Usually 8-10, so pretty easy.
Click to expand...
We did the same about 10 years ago. The trigger wasn't a dry turkey - it was the size of the turkey. My MIL would buy like a 10 pound turkey. No leftovers.

I finally stopped that nonsense.
 
ChiefD said:
FatMax said:
It was a fight, but we finally wrestled it away from my in-laws about three years ago. And now we get to have turkey that isn't bone dry. Usually 8-10, so pretty easy.
Click to expand...
We did the same about 10 years ago. The trigger wasn't a dry turkey - it was the size of the turkey. My MIL would buy like a 10 pound turkey. No leftovers.

I finally stopped that nonsense.
Click to expand...

Well, no leftovers vs. leftovers you don't want to eat yields the same result.
 
I think we've only hosted like 2-3 times, so voted go to someone else's home. This year is at my dad's.

We used to always do it with my in-laws, but our boys are in HS playing basketball and they have games/practices which make travel impossible.
 
I hate to sound selfish because one day I will miss it, but man, do I hate Thanksgiving.

I am the youngest of five. For years my wife and I would do the 30 minute drive to my sister's place with our two daughters and there would be 25-30 people there. Then we would have to watch the clock because my MIL would begin calling us wondering where we were for their party (which they conveniently kept moving up 15-30 minutes each year). So we pack the kids back up, drive 45 minutes to go eat another big meal there some three hours later. It was just hell and you just hated to eat.

Years later, we took the hosting duties over from my MIL and that gave us the power to control the time, but it still sucked because it was eat a big meal here, go home and now cook a big meal and then pretend to enjoy it.

I was fine when Covid hit because it was just my family eating a meal at our pace and for once enjoying the food.

Enter this year, my sister wants to "revive" the family tradition of the meal. However now, my brother isn't invited because of a falling out over politics with her and my sister lives out of state, so it won't be us all there anyway. I took a stand and said no, we are good. Of course, I am now the pariah of the family, but darn it, I will enjoy my meal with my wife and two adult daughters.
 
Host for 12-14. Kitchen gets trashed but we enjoy it.

Going to premake everything but the bird and rolls tomorrow to try and make it easier.
 
Just Mrs. O, me, and the pup. Occasionally we have friends over who would otherwise be alone, but that doesn’t happen too often
 
We usually have an extra person or two beyond family. People that would not normally have a place to be with people on Thansgiving. This year, it's an older person that's a friend of my dad's. Lost his spouse and had lost a son not too long ago. Nobody should have to be alone for Thanksgiving.
 
Courtjester said:
I hate to sound selfish because one day I will miss it, but man, do I hate Thanksgiving.

I am the youngest of five. For years my wife and I would do the 30 minute drive to my sister's place with our two daughters and there would be 25-30 people there. Then we would have to watch the clock because my MIL would begin calling us wondering where we were for their party (which they conveniently kept moving up 15-30 minutes each year). So we pack the kids back up, drive 45 minutes to go eat another big meal there some three hours later. It was just hell and you just hated to eat.

Years later, we took the hosting duties over from my MIL and that gave us the power to control the time, but it still sucked because it was eat a big meal here, go home and now cook a big meal and then pretend to enjoy it.

I was fine when Covid hit because it was just my family eating a meal at our pace and for once enjoying the food.

Enter this year, my sister wants to "revive" the family tradition of the meal. However now, my brother isn't invited because of a falling out over politics with her and my sister lives out of state, so it won't be us all there anyway. I took a stand and said no, we are good. Of course, I am now the pariah of the family, but darn it, I will enjoy my meal with my wife and two adult daughters.
Click to expand...

Enjoy, and good for you. Ending the holiday tour is very freeing.
 
Joe Bryant said:
We host.

Love it. My favorite holiday. All the good parts of family without the pressure stuff that goes with presents.
Click to expand...

This. All the this. The gift pressure is real.
Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday.

Football starts at 930am and lasts all day.

Listen to whatever genre of music you want, nobody is requesting Xmas music.

Everybody in my family is off the next day. No late night wrapping of presents, just dish duty. I'll take dish duty every day of the week and twice on Thanksgiving if it gets me out of gift wrapping.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zow
We began hosting when we bought our house a few years ago. Now the relatives drive up to Oregon. One of the reasons the west coast is best coast because the NFL games start as soon as the cooking begins, about 9:30. Thanksgiving is the best holiday by far.
 
Joe Bryant said:
We usually have an extra person or two beyond family. People that would not normally have a place to be with people on Thansgiving. This year, it's an older person that's a friend of my dad's. Lost his spouse and had lost a son not too long ago. Nobody should have to be alone for Thanksgiving.
Click to expand...

That's awesome!

I've got two fraternity brothers (and their dogs) staying with us for the holiday. Neither married, no kids. Two bachelors with dogs that need a place for Thanksgiving. One lives in Bend the other is traveling the country in his RV. Welcome to the Malaise madness!
 
Joe Bryant said:
We usually have an extra person or two beyond family. People that would not normally have a place to be with people on Thansgiving. This year, it's an older person that's a friend of my dad's. Lost his spouse and had lost a son not too long ago. Nobody should have to be alone for Thanksgiving.
Click to expand...

That's great. Sometimes we have the same. I think this year for sure we will have at least one extra
 
Joe Bryant said:
We usually have an extra person or two beyond family. People that would not normally have a place to be with people on Thansgiving. This year, it's an older person that's a friend of my dad's. Lost his spouse and had lost a son not too long ago. Nobody should have to be alone for Thanksgiving.
Click to expand...
That is awesome. We will occasionally have a college student or few (my wife works at a university) if they can't go home. I don't think we have any coming this year but I will find out Friday when the wife tells me...lol. It is never a problem because we always make plenty of food and send the leftovers home with our children.
 
We usually visit my parents (about 4 hours away) for Thanksgiving weekend, but have hosted some years if they can't do it or if we need to stay in town for whatever reason.
 
Since I have been with my wife from dating on.... we go to her parents. It is nice being only 10 minutes away from us. They have an adequate sized home to host for all my wife's family that come over.
 
FatMax said:
It was a fight, but we finally wrestled it away from my in-laws about three years ago. And now we get to have turkey that isn't bone dry. Usually 8-10, so pretty easy.
Click to expand...
Congrats on that victory! I was a prisoner to my inlaws for all holidays for about 15 years I've gained complete control the last few years and it is glorious.
 
ChiefD said:
FatMax said:
It was a fight, but we finally wrestled it away from my in-laws about three years ago. And now we get to have turkey that isn't bone dry. Usually 8-10, so pretty easy.
Click to expand...
We did the same about 10 years ago. The trigger wasn't a dry turkey - it was the size of the turkey. My MIL would buy like a 10 pound turkey. No leftovers.

I finally stopped that nonsense.
Click to expand...

We had leftovers from a 10 pound bird. 15 guests. We also had a ginormous honey baked ham - way more ham than turkey in the fridge. Also put out a massive charcuterie board during the Lions game. Plus all kinds of breads (flat bread, Hawaiian roll) and three kinds of dip (crab dip, humus, spinach.) Ridiculous number of sides + stuffing + for some reason homemade cranberries. At least 8 pies. Wifey did a great job with the turkey, it came out very moist.

I don't know how ended up with so many leftovers bc we sent food home with everyone.

We live a one bedroom NYC apartment. Still not sure how we made it work but everyone had a great time.

After the gluttony subsided we had spirited games of Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity, and Trivial Pursuit. I almost broke out the air mattresses and sleeping bags, thought they would never leave. But it was great to see everyone so relaxed and having a good time. I really hit the lotto with my in laws, they are fun to be around. We invited four friends to join the family and the conversations throughout the day were great.

Edit - this was my fourth time hosting, first time with wifey. We normally go to MIL but due to declining health that won't happen again. Looking forward to hosting again next year as I think this will be the new family tradition.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Keerock
  • Poll
What's Normal? - Do you typically go to Church on Christmas Eve?
2
Replies
50
Views
1K
FairWarning
FairWarning
Keerock
  • Poll
What's Normal? - Do you typically go out on New Year's Eve?
2
Replies
59
Views
1K
FairWarning
FairWarning
Keerock
  • Poll
What's Normal? - Do you usually host a non-family Christmas party?
Replies
19
Views
552
Terminalxylem
Terminalxylem

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top