I don't want to have three or four Thanksgiving dinners!

[Granny Sue]

We got to the point of really hating Thanksgiving. Since we had Christmas down pat, it seemed like T'day was up for grabs.

We were being torn in so many different directions that one year we finally had to sit down and say WAIT! So we figured out who we saw when, and the answer became clear. The one relative we didn't get to see during Christmas was the one who we decided to spend T'day with. (She a violinist and has to play Christmas Eve and Day)
It wasn't easy letting everybody know but we just had to do something!
When our son got married and had sweet Kali, he decided that he wanted to do T'day. We are still sagging with relief. Now we don't have to worry about making anybody mad....Kali rules above all!

[gentlearts]

I totally agree. Just have one and stick to your guns about it. I bet when you fail to accommodate everyone else's schedule, they will make more of an effort to be there. If you get too many people, just have a buffet.

[nomoresnow]

To be perfectly honest, I don't miss all the family dramas/dinners, etc. at the holidays. DH's family lives about 2-1/2 hours from my family and we always had to eat at one, and go visit the other on T'giving and on Christmas. We always got the guilt trip from the one we didn't eat with, no matter how evenly we divided it up.

One year, my first husband and I actually went to BOTH houses for dinner (they live in the same town). We swore never again.