Tips to Celebrate Holidays and Vacations After Divorce

Holidays can be a very special time of year, regardless of your beliefs. It’s a time for families to gather and reconnect and enjoy each other’s company and a good meal. Divorced are separated families are no different in their desire to enjoy as much of this time as they can. Unfortunately, living in two households can make issues difficult when trying to divide a child’s time between them, and even if you do not have children, the holidays can feel lonely during a divorce. There are some basic tips you can adhere to when trying to enjoy the holidays even while your divorce is ongoing.

One important way to make sure your holiday is not ruined is to plan ahead. Even though October is too early for most people to want to think about Christmas, if you have children with your soon-to-be former spouse, you should not wait until the week before school lets out to have a discussion about where the children will be spending their vacation. Have a discussion with your spouse about fairly dividing holiday time if you do not have a temporary order laying out holiday visitation. If you do have an order, have a discussion to make sure you both have the same understanding about how the holiday visitation will work. The sooner you get that worked out, the less stressful your holiday season will be.

Another way to enjoy your holidays is to invent new traditions. After a divorce, you will be focusing on rebuilding your life and rebuilding your sense of family. There is no reason you have to wait until the divorce is over, however, to start that process. Creating new traditions will help you transition into your new life after the decree is entered, as well as help restore a sense of normalcy. If you have children, it can also help them to know that the holidays will still be fun, despite the divorce.

Finally, try to stay positive and active. You may find that focusing on others this holiday season will help you transition through. Volunteering to help those less fortunate can be a good way to take your mind off of your current situation.

helping clients with the common issues that arise in divorce and separation such as celebrating holidays. Contact us today at (732) 529-6937 to talk about your case and what we can help you to do to ease your case.  Please also check out our for other FAQs about divorce topics like this one.