holiday gatherings
Seasonal family events
Holiday gatherings are social events where family, friends, or colleagues come together to celebrate holidays—Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas parties, office celebrations, and the like.
The phrase often carries connotations of warmth and tradition, though it can also suggest obligation or stress: I'm dreading the holiday gatherings this year.
The term became particularly prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when public health officials warned against large indoor holiday gatherings.
- family reunionGathering of relatives
- homecomingReturning to one's origin
- catching upClosing a distance
- family photosImages of related people
- joyIntense positive emotion
togetherness · quality time · feasting · tradition · Thanksgiving · saying grace · warmth · family rituals · playing games · white elephant · storytelling · nostalgia · Christmas dinner · dinner table · home cooking · invitation · decorating · ugly sweater
- family humorfamily jokes, dad jokes, marriage jokes, husband jokes, wife jokes
- social obligationscourtesy, politeness, greeting, obligation, thank you
- family obligationschildcare, eldercare, family support, caregiving, financial support
- French etiquettecheek kiss, table manners, formal address, greeting customs, cheese course
- church activitiesSunday school, Bible study, church camp, church socials, church picnic
- family dutiescaregiving, childcare, elder care, parenting, family support
holiday gatheringssolitude
State of being alone
isolation · hermitage · seclusion · social withdrawal · being alone
holiday gatheringsordinary days
Unremarkable daily life
daily grind · business as usual · everyday life · non-events · nothing special
holiday gatheringsestrangement
Emotional separation between people
alienation · disconnection · loneliness · family separation · abandonment