We hosted our 20th Annual "Friends For Thanksgiving" this holiday season.  My partner (of 22 years) and I celebrate Thanksgiving every year with our circle of friends and their families the 2nd weekend of November.  Some years, it's often less stressful than holidays with family, lol!

We do the same thing. For the past 7 or 8 years (I'm starting to lose count) I get together with my 3 closest friends from grad school and their spouses / significant others for dinner. We, too, do the white elephant gift exchange and it's always a hoot. 

Wow Ali, That sounds like you had a great time. My in Laws do this every year. This Sunday was special for me also. I got to see an Aunt of mine that I haven't seen in 17 years and met another that I have never known. They are on my Bio-father's side and I only met one of then once before. This was also the first time that they met my children and my brothers.  The last time they came my older brother didn't really want to get involved but this time it was his doing to get everyone together. We also got to see cousins again and their children. It was an early Christmas present to all of us.

Thanks for sharing about your Holiday get-togethers. 

Our family dissintegrated 35 yrs ago, (thanks Mom) so there are too many Holiday traditions and "relatives" to keep up with. 

We put up a tree, some lights, decorations, presents and Christmas music. 

Its safe and warm at our home and we have plenty to eat. 

Sounds like you have a blast getting togther. For me i dont really have a tradition with friends but for family, we get together with my moms side and her side is big, she has 3 sisters who had kids and now they are having kids so it a big family on her side. We dont get to see them much, only on family crisis or on holidays. Its so much fun to see all the cousins play together and running around, everytime i see them they are taller and older i don't reconize them. My mom and her sisters get together and decide what we are having to eat and also what the theme will be for the gift exchange. We dont really have the elephant thing, instead we come up with a theme than all the cousins and aunts go out buy stuff wrap them, then we all pick cards from a deck and the lowest gets to pick a present first then so on and so forth, the thing is if its something you think you would like you can steal it from the person who opened it. so theres always a little fight if more than one person wants the same thing. it lots of fun and a great time to catch up on things with the family. 

Wow. We would but four years ago my husband took a job here in Grand Junction Colorado. So now we are away from all my best friends and family! I cant find any friends that are as close as my friends back home in Northern California! How I miss everyone! It seems like you all have tons of fun. For us its My husband, our three kids and myself. Happy and small. =)