The holidays are just around the corner! That’s great and all, but if you’re in a relationship, you might be a little bit worried about what the upcoming holidays could do to your relationship. Your boyfriend is going to meet family and friends and you still have to figure out what gift to give him. Calm down; it’s not as troublesome as you think it might be.
#1: Family
Under any circumstances, meeting family members can be stressful. If you’re not careful, adding holidays into the mix can create the recipe for disaster. If you have crazy family holiday traditions (such as Chinese food on Christmas Eve), you might want to warn your boyfriend ahead of time so that he doesn’t expect a turkey on Christmas Eve.
Don’t let your only focus be on your boyfriend liking your family – it’s important for your family to like him too! Encourage him to stay active in your (possibly crazy) holiday traditions and maybe even bring over some delicious cookies to win your mom over.
#2: Religion
Your boyfriend might not celebrate the same holiday as you, but that’s okay! We live in an amazing country that allows all types of holidays to be celebrated. If you celebrate Christmas but your boyfriend celebrates Hanukkah, no worries! Agree on a date in between those two holidays to exchange gifts.
And if your boyfriend invites you to celebrate a day of Hanukkah with him, then you should be excited and should make every effort to do so. He’s probably not trying to shove religion down your throat; he’s merely trying to celebrate a special day with you.
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#3: Gifts
The stereotype that college students are broke is a very true stereotype, especially around the holidays. If your boyfriend asks you what you’d like for Christmas, try to avoid pricey suggestions (that means, don’t ask him for a necklace from Tiffany’s) and focus on gifts that he can afford. Don’t be rude either – even if he gets you a hideous sweater from T.J. Maxx, at least he tried. Sometimes, that’s all you can hope for in a guy.
And don’t forget that gifts don’t always have to be in the physical form. It can be just as much fun to plan a special date to see The Nutcracker and eat at a restaurant that’s you’ve never visited on a date.
#4: Friends
If you’re in a long-distance relationship, you’re more than likely going to either be in the same town as your boyfriend or you’ll be making multiple visits to see him. Regardless, make sure you make time for your friends. They want to see you too! Besides, if you’re always with your boyfriend, that’s going to create some tension between your friends and him. Your friends have a major influence over how you feel about people so don’t create problems! Spend balanced time with both parties.
It’s not going to be perfect. Remember to stay focused on the overall picture and forgive your boyfriend for any faux-pas that he may commit (including buying you an absolutely heinous purse or burning your mom’s cookies). Celebrate the holidays and take advantage of having someone to kiss under the mistletoe and to makeout with at the stroke of twelve on New Year’s Eve (we all know it’s going to happen).