<p>We usually end up celebrating both Canadian(early October) and American Thanksgiving. Most of the time all 4Ds are home for one or the other or both, always with a couple of friends each, and one set of grandparents and an uncle, aunt and cousins will join us. For American Thanksgiving, I do the turkey dinner all over again for my D3 and her American friends who attend Univ. of Toronto, since they don’t get the time off to go home then. They usually all have class that day then descend upon our house with big appetites and many thanks to me for doing all the prep. I enjoy doing it, almost as much as I enjoy having them here!</p>
<p>For those of you who have a college freshman for the first time who will be travelling home for Thanksgiving in November, be sure to get on those travel plans very soon or you may not get flights!</p>
<p>It does become a resentment-filled struggle in some families. My siblings married into families that insist every holiday be spent with them. It’s really been hurtful for my parents, who have not spent ANY Thanksgiving with their kids (except for me) in 30 years. As well, they have seen my siblings maybe twice over Christmas in 30 years.</p>
<p>It does have an impact on relationships. For my parents, the relationship with my family is a LOT different than the relationship with my siblings’ families. That’s sad but true. Sure, they visit, but it’s on their convenience (usually combined with a spring/summer vacation at Disney/Universal/Seaworld/the beach, since my folks live right there). My parents aren’t disowning them or anything, but it’s pretty obvious there’s some favoritism for my kids that my siblings don’t understand. I feel like saying, “Well if you’d tell your MIL to shove it every once in a while, and come visit Mom and Dad during the holidays, things might be different!”</p>
<p>Our solution is to have both sets of parents to our house for Thanksgiving. For Christmas we have my folks and my bil and his family. We use up every bed and sofa :)</p>
<p>Last year was the first Thanksgiving that we could not get everyone together, but it didn’t stop us from having our traditional family dinner. We did a T’day “re-enactment” the first weekend that everyone was home for winter break. We had family, turkey and all the trimmings. It was just on a different day than everyone else. You can maintain traditions with a little creativity and sometimes it’s fun to start new traditions. Flexibility is the key when families and kids are spread out.</p>
<p>We have also gone to S2’s college town to celebrate and attend the football game, another way around logistics.</p>
<p>I’m in Fafnir605’s shoes. This is D’s 3rd year of college, and she has always stayed at school for T’giving. Last year, though, she spent most of the holiday shivering in her dorm room because she couldn’t figure out how to get the heat to work, and it was the first real cold snap. Cafeteria closed, no heat, no friends - she decided to come home this year.</p>
<p>DD actually has the full week off at Thanksgiving. BUT their semester ends on December 8. It is just to costly (coast to coast) to fly her round trip two times in two weeks. Plus…have you checked airfares for Thanksgiving week? They really are sticking it to anyone who is flying back on Sat or Sun after Thanksgiving. So…DD will visit relatives near her college instead. DS won’t be home either…only 4 days, and a 13 hour drive. He’ll come home on December 8 also.</p>