My Family Christmas Tradition, 2 Families, 10 Christmases

This year, my husband and I celebrate our 10th Christmas together. It encompasses the one Christmas tradition we have made over the years. This, our 10th will be the first one we will spend thousands of miles apart. As you can imagine, it’s bittersweet. It makes me both sad and nostalgic. It got me thinking about all the Christmases we have spent together and the memories of them. While it is the first Christmas with this kind of divide, it is by no means the first we have spent in different places. The truth is, you don’t marry a doctor and escape every Christmas unscathed by absence as a result of work. Additionally, since the city we live in a city different from the ones we are from, we rarely stay at our house for the holidays. I guess that is a little of our Christmas tradition.

Walk down memory lane with me.

Christmas #1

By the time we got to Christmas number one, hubby and I had been dating for three months. Unfortunately for us, I lost my great grandfather and he lost his grandfather within days of each other. He was with his family and me with mine. It was a difficult few days for us. I also got extremely sick in those few days. I never can recall having a cough as bad as I caught that December. Most of our phone conversations would end on account of coughing fits trying to talk.

Christmas #2

Christmas number two was when my husband, then boyfriend of one-plus years convinced me to come home with him to Montego Bay and spend a few days with his family. I had already met them in person, but fleetingly. I was so nervous I almost puked. However, I figured a day or two wouldn’t kill me. Sometime in the previous year, he had come home with me, so it was my turn.

Only, I was tricked. I thought I was visiting for two or three days. It was for a week! Anyway, I eventually got over it and it became the start of our own tradition as a couple. We are my hometown and his are hours apart, so doing both in a day is not an option. Since we are both family-oriented and typically spend the holiday with our family, each year from then on, we alternated with my family and his every year.

Christmas #3 & #4

Chrismas four and five were pretty low-key. We spent them with the family whose Christmas it was.

Christmas #5

This Christmas was special because it was our first one as husband and wife.

Christmas #6

Christmas number six was also special. It was our first one as parents. We spent it with his family, ad it was the tie that they were able to meet baby girl in person for the first time.

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Christmas #7

Hubby had to work. We had attended my friend’s wedding on Christmas eve, but he was on call for Christmas day, so we didn’t see him until after. Old as I was, I truly felt like crying. I mean, who wants to spend Christmas without their spouse. My family, however, helped keep my spirits up

Christmas #8

The hubs had to work. Baby girl and I had just come back from the US and Hubby from the UK. At the time

Christmas #9

After a long couple of months of avoiding each other like the plague, we were finally able to come together on Christmas Day with my side of the family. Happy to be together, share a delicious meal spread and my Day cam to visit for the first time since he migrated. Before that, I had never gone a month without seeing my father, so this was a relief for my sisters and me. It was also a celebration of the end of my husband being a resident. I can’t describe it with words, but he was a lot less tense, he smiled easier, and I loved it.

Christmas #10

That would be this year. I am in Canada and my tribe, including hubby, is in Jamaica. This is definitely not an experience I hope to repeat in the future, but we have to do what we have to do, right?

Do you have a Christmas tradition or two in your family? What are they? Share in the comments.

Xo, Shandean

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