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I think it's an age thing.
When I was first married and in the Navy, I used to volunteer for Thanksgiving and Christmas duty so I wouldn't have to spend either at my mother-in-law's.
We got past that, and after a few years, we enjoyed each other's company. She's dead now.
On alternate years, my family would fly to my sister's, where the rest of the family would gather. The trip would span two weekends, for a total of nine days. Although it wasn't a huge house (and if you got up last, there wouldn't be any hot water for your shower) everyone did pretty well.
Then in '99, my brother died. By then, my wife had no immediate family left, so we went to my parents' every year. Once, I cut it short to seven days, and my sister griped that it wasn't long enough. It's a lot easier when you and your sibling's kids get along reasonably well. Say what you want about kids, they usually prevent boredom. They're just easier to put up with if you can inflict your own on others while they're inflicting theirs on you.
I'm not saying this to generate warm fuzzies. It's just that, in my case, I know my parents won't be around forever, and the cross-country get-togethers won't last indefinitely, either. So we don't waste time arguing. Well, not much, anyway.
Guess I have a lot to be thankful for. It's too bad there are so many people who seem to enjoy ruining what should be a happy occasion.
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"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."
Margaret Thatcher
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