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THE NARRATIVE ARC

Why I Don’t Have Big Family Holiday Celebrations

It’s against their religion

Christine Schoenwald
The Narrative Arc
Published in
5 min readDec 20, 2024

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A brown haired woman stands between two Christmas trees and wistfully looks out the window.
https://depositphotos.com

Excitement fills the air as Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are nearly here. Every mall has its Santa’s workshop open and ready for tiny guests with long lists. Nonstop holiday movies show on our TVs. Our loved ones battle delayed flights, traffic, and expensive fares to be with their families.

All the major holidays except New Year’s Eve have become synonymous with family. So, what do you do when your family doesn’t celebrate holidays?

For me, no relatives are filling up their cars with presents and driving long distances, nor is there anyone packed on an overcrowded flight so that we can be together during this special time of year.

My holidays are the smallest of low-key celebrations — just me, my boyfriend Andy, and our cats. This isn’t to say that my holidays are depressing — they’re not, but the only thing decked out is the wreath on our door.

I have an image of how the holidays should be: full of relatives partaking in family traditions, annual post-dinner walks, and celebratory games—family time squared. However, this fantasy is never realized.

Most of my family, except for one of my nephews and his family, are Jehovah’s…

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The Narrative Arc
The Narrative Arc

Published in The Narrative Arc

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Christine Schoenwald
Christine Schoenwald

Written by Christine Schoenwald

Writer for The Los Angeles Times, Salon, Next Avenue, Business Insider, and Your Tango Christineschoenwaldwriter.com

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