This is it! You’re finally engaged and you’re on cloud nine. It’s your first year spending Christmas and New Year with both sides of the family and you couldn’t be more thrilled to be introduced as the fiancée. Are you ready to answer everyone’s questions about your wedding? Have you agreed on whose family you’ll be ringing in the New Year with? How about gifts, did you shop for presents for the entire family already? The holiday season can sometimes get a little overwhelming, so we prepared a simple guide to keep you on the right track. Keep on reading to learn how you can make your first Christmas season together memorable and stress-free!
You won’t believe how often you’ll be asked “how did he propose?” There’s no need to repeat the same story verbatim every time you’re asked this question, but do prepare yourself for the onslaught. We recommend taking turns, so you don’t get too exhausted repeating yourself and you’re also entertained hearing the details from your partner’s point of view.
There are people who love to give gifts and there are people who forget to open some of theirs. For some unknown reason, these two types of people often find each other and fall in love. Discuss your respective families’ gifting patterns, whether or not you’ll be doing couple gifts, and the budget you’re both comfortable with for gift shopping. There is no rule for who you have to gift or how many gifts you have to give. Don’t let the fear of expectations get in the way of your holiday cheer!
Discuss your holiday plans early. It is highly likely there will be gatherings scheduled on the same dates and you’ll have to decide between choosing one side and disappointing the other or attending both and losing sleep (and a little patience). Share which gatherings matter the most to each of you and find a way to split your time that you both think is fair and doable. When choosing not to attend an event, be sure to let the hosts know politely and never blame your partner for the decision. Always have a united front and you’ll be putting out a fire before it even starts.
Each family celebrates the holidays differently and that’s totally okay. Some families go all-out for noche buena, while Christmas morning is the highlight for others. Some kids grow up believing in Santa Claus, while other kids look forward to mom and dad’s gift the most. Compare your family’s traditions and share stories about what it was like for you growing up. Then, you can decide together which traditions you want to honor in your future family.
You’re going to be meeting a lot of new people and you want them all to love you. We totally understand why you might need a little liquid courage, but you want to make a good impression, not be remembered as the newbie that couldn’t hold her liquor. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a drink or two (or more, depending on your tolerance) to break the ice, but know your limits and stay on top of your game. Trust that your personality will shine through and time is all you need to grow closer and build stronger relationships with your new family.
In between the Christmas shopping and all the Christmas parties with families and friends, it’s typically tough to find time to spend quality time together, without running an errand on the side. Make time to celebrate the year that was and plan out your goals and dreams for the coming year, It’s exhausting to constantly have your best foot forward like we tend to do during reunions and office parties, so a break, being completely and unapologetically yourself, is definitely a must during this season.