I have a big family. And when I say big, I mean big. My maternal grandparents had five children, and each of those children had at least two kids. Most of them had more. This means that I have 13 cousins, plus my own two sisters. Add in husbands, wives, and kids (I am the youngest cousin in the family, so the majority of the others have married and started families by now), and we've had to move Christmas from my grandparents, where we usually celebrate, to their church to accommodate the number of young children running around. That being said, with a family this large, things get interesting. Here are just a few of the different people you'll find at the big family celebrations.
1. The one with the stolen/hacked phone.
It never fails. I feel sorry for this poor soul because his/her Facebook memories on Christmas Day must be filled with statuses like "I smell like Santa" or live videos of siblings and in-laws.
2. The babies/toddlers.
Last year, the walls were lined with pack-n-plays and car seats, but this year the great-grands have grown up enough that Christmas means a bunch of toddlers running around stealing each others' toys and just generally causing trouble. One of the kids pushed another kid to the ground, siblings just generally made life difficult for each other, and one little boy chased my own niece around (I think he wanted to give her a hug). Basically, it was pandemonium–in a good way.
3. The stranger.
In the evening, I saw someone I had never seen before walking around and was totally confused until one of my cousins walked over to her. He had brought his girlfriend, but I'd never seen her.
4. The traditional food crew.
I am forever grateful to the people who always help with clean-up of the food. They work so tirelessly so that the game crew can just enjoy themselves. This crew is usually headed by the grandmother and assisted by her daughters, daughter-in-laws, and any of the men who enjoy cooking or food.
5. The game crew.
These are the people who sit around playing games all day. Loudly. It's usually the same group of people, and they can play the same game for hours at a time. My family's game crew this year spent several hours playing Batman-themed "Love Letter."
6. The introvert.
This is the person who emerges for food and gift-giving and nothing else.
7. The person who waits all year for the traditional food.
My family has a tradition of serving Skyline Chili for dinner every year. Many of the family can't get Skyline at home (they live in places where there are no restaurants), and canned chili bought from the store is so expensive. That said, this person is usually at least half the family.
In short, large family celebrations can be messy, fun, strange, and just different. I hope your holiday was just as enjoyable!
