Hi Nana, I don't know, so I look to those ahead of me like you to guide me. For me, my first Christmas wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, just a giant reminder that Juanita wasn't here anymore. We never did do a thing on New Years -- so that was easy. But I am dreading Easter, her favorite holiday. I've got so many wonderful memories of the Easter egg hunts held here at this house, and the last one shortly before she died. I guess I'll figure it out when I get to it. I do hope you get some good advice that helps you. Have a blessed day! ~~ Scottie

Nana...I had 32 Christmases with Marylou, and my fondest one was that first one, 1983...Marylou worked as a nurse assistant in the care of mainly geriatric patients, and she loved her work, talked about it all the time, a natural-born healer...that Christmas Eve she blindsided me
...we had been dating almost a year, and we were quickly finding we were soulmates...that afternoon she showed up at my place with a Santa Clause outfit, with the beard and the whole-9, handed it to me and said "get dressed, Santa"...I said "where we going?" , she said "you're gonna like this"...she got into her Mrs. Clause get-up, and she had a little cloth bag with little airline bottles of shampoo and mouthwash and after shave...we ended up at a place she used to work which handled strictly geriatric patients...most of them were still getting around, it was one of those places where the families warehouse the ones that are too old to go out and get drunk or whatever...it was about 7:30 Christmas Eve, and only about two of them even had a visitor, kinda pissed me off...so Marylou hands me the bag, and we go marching into the TV room with the "HO-HO-HO" routine, and I started handing out the junk in the bag...at first the residents were a little shocked, but then they were all smiles, they appreciated that somebody thought about them on Christmas Eve, when most of them didn't even hear from their families...after awhile, Marylou was hanging with the women talking woman-stuff, and I was surrounded by a bunch of the men, who were WWII vets, and they took turns swapping war stories with this youngster from Vietnam in the Santa Clause suit...we were there about two hours total, and looking back, I gotta say, that had to be the most memorable Christmas of my life....it was really a privilege to hang with all those WWII guys, most of them are gone now...the salt-of-the-earth, the "Greatest Generation", and I owe it all to Marylou...I also learned that I had better put a ring on her finger...because it only took me my entire life to find a woman who was as crazy as I was!
Marylou has been gone since last June, and this past Christmas was not Christmas, and it wasn't for our 3 daughters, either...I'm thinking some day I wouldn't mind throwing on a Santa suit some Christmas eve, and see if I can't put a smile on somebody's face...right now just the thought of it makes me well-up, because I know Mrs. Clause won't be with me.
But in truth, she will be with me, just like she is now...in Spirit she is with me, as she awaits the day I will join her in Spirit.
I don't know if I'll ever be able to pull one of those off again...but the more I think about it...

Christmas was a hard one for me to get through. The first few years I tried to spend as much time with our adult children and family. It wasn't the same for us either. If I didn't have them nearby I'm not sure how I would have managed. All I can suggest is don't anticipate and get through the day anyway you can. Sharon

I only had two christmas's with my sweet husband. we were starting our own traditions, like him lifting the little one to put the topper on the tree. Little things like that, so this christmas was by far so difficult for all of us. I wished I had, had more christmas's with my sweet husband, and therefore, that is the difficult part, all the neat things we had still yet gotten to do for christmas time. We had planned to go to colorado, etc... no to avail... so I dont think there is a good holiday, I think all holidays will be filled with memories, sad, good, etc.. I just think you get through it the best you can,. You are perfect with how you want to feel, or do for your holidays without your sweet husband...Much love and big hugs carla

The recent holidays were horrible as my wife passed on
28 August, 2015. We were together for 29 Christmas
celebrations New Year's Eve was the worst as it would have
been our 25th wedding anniversary.

I am really going to have to give the whole holiday situation
a great deal of thought as I can't go through what I endured
during the recent holidays. Somehow, I am going to find a
way to celebrate her as well as our life together during the
holidays. I'll be monitoring this post to see how others treat
the holidays as time moves forward.

Blessings to all -

Darrell

All these holidays were my firsts. My wife was a big decorator. It was really nice the way she would fix up our home. I never wanted to leave until it was over. Last New Year's Eve I will never forget. The supervisor I had made me work New Year's to be off Christmas, which I never had to before. So I didn't have the last one with her that she was alive. You can't predict the future but again all the more reason to spend that time with those you love when you can. Thank God I don't work under that supervisor now. I can forgive but forgetting is different. Anyway my wife is spending it with the ONE now. And someday so will I.
Peace, Tim

I've always loved the holidays contrary to my beloved Dan who passed Oct 2015 He loved that I loved it and as time went by He too received the joy We would have Christmas brunch both of us loved cookin together
......... with his children which are local both mine out of state and invite friends that we knew might b alone...
however the first of many was wth my son which was short of a disaster I was so raw ...It was incredibly hard...u see Dan passed on my birthday, then his bday was Dec 18th, then Christmas and New Years Eve is our anniversary ...lookin back n ot sure how I survived thru all that...but I DID! ...There are some things Dan had on his bucket list so I plan on doing those things over the holiday season. ..will definetly invite alone folks to my home Christmas this year for brunch as well

I recently realized I would think about my family (dogs and roommate) if I went on a cruise at Christmas. I'm going to Branson, MO a few days before during the anniversary of Bob's death. Vince will go with me, and will stay a couple of days. He promised to take me shopping, and the malls always have music and hustle and bustle at Christmas. He will help me get through it. That was very nice of him as he is not to fond of shopping.