Expectations

The holidays.
When mentioned, the thought of Thanksgiving and Christmas can bring joy to some, dread to others, and stress to many. I realized that familiar traditions create these expectations, whether it be the expectation that you must make/eat a turkey dinner, or the expectation that having many family members together in one place is bound to cause fireworks. Traditions can bring the comfort of good times, things to look forward to, or possibly bad memories, or empty formalities that no-one seems to want to break out of. It all comes down to how meaningful the holidays are to you and your kin, because your expectations will only be as high as the amount of significance you've invested in those traditions and in the people you will be obligated to spend time with. Families will have their dysfuctions, but if there is something in common that draws all together, then there is at least potential for positive expectations. After all, if you don't have anything worth celebrating, you've gone to a lot of fuss and effort to celebrate nothing.

Some folks do break away from the herd occasionally, if a thing that "we always do" is something that causes dread instead of holiday cheer. For instance, an accquaintance I saw at the store before Thanksgiving told me of her mode of polite rebellion: if the big dinner is at her house, she is cooking ham. It's easier and she likes it better. If Significant Relative #2 prefers turkey, well, dinner will be at that person's house and that individual will prepare it.
As for me, I have fond memories of holidays past. Of course, I have not yet been in charge of cooking the turkey...