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Hey Panda, When Your Extended Family Gets Together, What’s Something That Always Happens? (Closed)
This summer, I saw both sides of my family and noticed something that always happens with each side...
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#1
I always get told how I could have done better. One, I’m now in my 50s. Two, I’m part of the management team for a nationwide catering brand in the UK, but they don’t understand that bit!
I let it go because I get to travel home once or twice a year, since COVID, next month will be the first in two years. Not worth getting annoyed about it. I know who I am and my worth.
Final score:
29points
#2
Massive jam session (much of my father's side of the family is musically talented), fish fry and at least one person is going to get dumped in the lake.
Final score:
27points
#3
Iranian family: Singing and dancing
English family: Long awkward silences
Final score:
25points
#4
My little (4-9) cousins fall asleep on me as I read them a story book I brought for them, after playing with them. Their mother talks with my mother and I remain there, completely helpless because I do NOT want to wake them up. I love them so much if you can’t tell.
Final score:
24points
#5
My sister and her family will be two to three hours late.
Final score:
23points
Thorfin Wolfsbane 3 years ago
In my family, we tell my sister to meet 30-60 minutes BEFORE we will actually be meeting so she is relatively on time.
#6
I avoid such things like the plague.
Final score:
23points
#7
My husband and his sisters make a huge batch of homemade gnocchi, as their grandmother and great-grandmother did. Now their children are drawn in. I watch and wait (my family is more the chopped liver and matzoh ball types). I'm delighted to watch the youngsters develop expertise, it's a tradition that really wants continuity!
Final score:
20points
Joanna Werman 3 years ago
I would have thought that the continuity is less important than the relatives doing it together. All together it's great
#8
Are you hungry? Have you eaten yet?
Final score:
18points
ThoughtsAreNotFacts 3 years ago
Showing love by feeding! Have a few of those in my family! Not complaining and I never leave hungry
#9
My family - Someone died. Only reason we still get together
My wife's family. Laughter, joking, hugs...
Final score:
17points
#10
Sitting on giant rocks drinking homemade rootbeer
Final score:
16points
#11
my mom and ads side of the family are very different, with my moms side of the family, when we get together its usually for a wedding or thanksgiving and its always a bunch of my distant cousins who I've never seen before but knew my mom so i'm ALWAYS bombarded with "you look so much like your mother"
my dads family on the other hand, when we get together its because we hadn't seen each other in a while. and instead of distant cousins, its my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. no matter what happens you can count on at least on night of a full game of Mexican train, and my dad and uncle playing on there guitars. (you can also alway count on there being one or to rounds of "American Pie)
Final score:
15points
#12
We’re all friends, so we talk and eat and laugh a lot! They’re my favorite people to spend time with:)
Final score:
15points
#13
My cousins get into a wrestling match.
There is always too much food
My grandma hates me and my mom
It sometimes can turn out ok but most of the time it’s not
Final score:
12points
#14
Ok so my family lives kinda all over the place but when we do get together my siblings I get the same thing ever. single. time. "Wow! you're so tall! Have you grown?!" Like bruh just because we're the only ones in this family who ended up with any height at all doesn't mean we grow five inches every time we see y'all.
Final score:
9points
#15
We play computer games. Seriously. When growing up, computers were fascinating things that my uncles were starting to work with, so every time the family got together we would gather as a group to see what these computers could do. It ended up being a christmas tradition that after the food and merriment, we sat down as a family and demonstrated new things and we all played together. Even now, nearly 30 years later, three of my uncles in IT, we still do it. Friedly competition that brings the family together. We're a bunch of nerds :P
Final score:
9points
#16
My brother and I will get into a serious argument over nothing because we both have to be right. Nearly coming to blows during the argument.
And five seconds after the argument, we end up laughing at each other because it was such a dumb, trivial thing to be arguing over.
Final score:
8points
#17
My extended family is pretty normal. We just sit at the table, talk, and try to be polite.
Final score:
7points
#18
Talks. About. Religion. We never fight about it, but we always try to prove whose right and whose wrong.
Final score:
7points
#19
Talking about politics, every single time
Final score:
7points
Thorfin Wolfsbane 3 years ago
You're lucky, at my family gatherings we don't talk about politics, it's more like one person is silent while the other person screams about politics (who wants to guess who the screamer is affiliated with?).
#20
A least 2 people make comments on my dyed hair. It's really annoying.
Final score:
7points
#21
I get deadname, misgendered, and hear homophobic bs while my cousin laughs at it like it's a frickin romcom. And in the other room, you can hear the antivaxxers and their political opinions.
Final score:
7points
-cipher_the_dream_demon- (Submission author) 3 years ago
And the den has the religious fights, of course.
#22
Considering my extended family hardly get together and when we do only my Nan can come. Everybody else is in either Ireland or Scotland. We usually have a nice lunch somewhere. I usually get something from my Mum.
Final score:
7points
#23
My one uncle still references nsync and backstreet boys?! I think he saw MTV one time and...?!?
Final score:
7points
WildBerry 3 years ago
Backstreet's "Everybody" is a great video for Halloween time... or anytime. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=backstreet%27s+back+video&view=detail&mid=D6A9F056530ECF5F4755D6A9F056530ECF5F4755&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dbackstreet%2527s%2bback%2bvideo%26cvid%3deb48a970b4c84266aea126b15fbb3398%26aqs%3dedge.0.0l5.7392j0j1%26pglt%3d299%26FORM%3dANNTA1%26PC%3dU531
#24
Every time my dad's side of the family meets, someone always ends up shooting a lit roman candle at the rest of the family.
Final score:
6points
#25
Once all criticism gets over, karaoke... obviously I find a way to be very busy that day
Final score:
6points
#26
Drugs. And me being sent out of the room on some flimsy excuse even though I’m an adult and know exactly what they are doing.
Final score:
6points
#27
me having a panic attack because it's 76% toddlers who all want to play with me
Final score:
6points
#28
Lots of food. Talking about the past and those in the family who have passed away but with fond memories and fun stories.
Final score:
6points
#29
It depends, just my 2 first cousins grandma and grandpa? If so then pool in the summer. Past august? Big leaf pile. Past October? SNOWBALL FIGHT!
Alternatively it could be my 22 other cousins, more of my uncles and aunts too. Then me and my 2 first cousins have been dragged off by 4 other cousins, and of course we have to give an opinion on mascara.
Final score:
5points
Happi doggi (Submission author) 3 years ago
Oh and I forgot to add that one of my first cousin looks like the boy version of me so we’ve been called “the twins” every time. I’m also 2 inches taller.
#31
My aunts will get drunk and fight, someone will comment how much I’ve grown, and my cousin will demand that I film him throwing baseballs
Final score:
5points
#32
As soon as everyone is seated at the table and eating (must be eating) the cameras come out. 3 dozen photo albums full of pictures of various gatherings, same kind of food, same people, different houses. Always the same questions when looking at the albums: "When was this? Where was this? Why was this gathering?" Same people always in mid forkful and boarding house reaches.
Final score:
5points
Concept-Peter Roosdorp 3 years ago
Photo albums are a thing of the past unfortunately. How many of the pictures that you have snapped digitally have you even looked at afterwards?
#33
We‘re having a real good time and it‘s always fun, especially with family members that rarely meet each other
Final score:
5points
#35
My Grandma will get drunk and then randomly sneak up behind you to smack you upside the head for no apparent reason. Everybody's automatically flinching when she comes near.
Final score:
4points
#36
All my aunts have bad hearing so they yell at each other all the time, they are very noisy. My cousins and me used to flock around my uncle who liked playing with us (he doesn't have kids of his own) and is usually quiet but funny. Now all my cousins have bfs/gfs so I chill with my uncle.
Final score:
4points
#37
Me, Sisters and Nan - laughing, wine & silliness.
Rest of family - mostly disapproval.
Final score:
4points
#38
1. I drink way too much as an escape.
2. There's lots of loud arguing.
3. If the right combination of family is present, there will be a fist fight at some point.
Quarantine had its good points.
Final score:
4points
#39
Someone comments on my sexuality lol
Final score:
3points
#40
When I was a kid, that was something I’m looking forward to at least once a year. Great and abundance food, a bunch of friends to play with from the moment we opened our eyes till we slept, everybody was sleeping together in a common room, went to recreational places wearing “uniform” clothes, a lot of outdoor picnics. Fast forward to after 30: Nah.
Final score:
3points
#41
My father's side of the family comes from Brabant, a very outgoing and high-energy part of the Netherlands (generally), so we get loud and slightly obnoxious to anyone not involved. My mom, on the other hand, who comes from a slightly rigid and strict upbringing, cannot handle the noise and secretly very much want to go home but can't get my dad away from his seven brothers, two sisters and about a million nieces and nephews :')
Final score:
3points
#42
We all play dice until midnight for whatever reason
Final score:
3points
Chloe *Leah* Pheonix (Submission author) 3 years ago
Ngl tho it's pretty fun. Although meeting friends of extended family always feels new every time like we talked uncomfortably for an hour last time and now it feels like I'm meeting you for the first time again
#43
Everyone gets sick. It's a tradition that's been happening at least since my mom was a kid. She had a family reunion where everyone had the stomach flu and got chicken pox afterwards. As far as I can remember, we've had family gatherings where everyone got pink eye and bronchitis. Once we all prayed no one would get sick during our family gathering, and no one did. But my cousin's got lice. This is a family tradition I hope will end.
Final score:
3points
#44
Mom's side: REALLY good food courtesy of grandma😋
Dad's side: Lots of packaged food and takeout. Also, someone always gets sick🤢
Final score:
3points
#45
On my dad's side, someone will probably end up starting a game of dominoes or spades. On my mom's side, there will probably be some sort of argument.
Final score:
3points
#46
Mom's side: Cooking chain (fun!)
Dad's side: Drama show (not fun.)
Final score:
3points
#47
Where's your boyfriend? Many of your friends are already married
Yeah, after years they asked me to focus on school.
Final score:
3points
#49
Lots of stupid board games (for the kids), talking about coding and such (for some adults), talking about who knows what for everyone else. And usually someone ends up coming late or leaving early.
Final score:
2points
#50
More DUIs than people in the room, I don't have any (I don't drink) and am the odd ball.
Final score:
2points
#51
Our daughter will remind everyone she is a vegan. (We know, that is why there are vegan dishes prepared for you.)
My father-in-law will describe his grand plan for a BBQ/pizza oven in his back yard. The same one he has been planning for at least 10 years.
Final score:
2points
Concept-Peter Roosdorp 3 years ago
Some plans are not plans, they are dreams in disguise. Not important to follow through with, but important to have. Mine is building a sailboat and sailing around the world.
#52
my mom and my uncle always get into a hopeless argument about politics and my uncle wins because he's a lawyer.
Final score:
2points
Concept-Peter Roosdorp 3 years ago
politics is just a collection of opinions. There is usually no right or wrong.
#53
On one side, dancing, cornhole tournament, tables of games and coloring for kids. Lots of guilt being slung about. Chocolate popcorn, good food.
Other side over-polite dinner conversation, ridiculously bland food.
Final score:
2points
#54
My family will be late, and then the rest of the family will make sexist/racist/homophobic jokes.
Final score:
2points
#56
Everyone tells me how tall I have gotten since last time, than we start talking about baseball (and sometimes music)
Final score:
1point
What do you think ?
InfectedVoice 3 years ago
I get very drunk, my cousin starts a fight with someone, my aunt will smoke inside and my mum and uncle will argue at some point.
InfectedVoice 3 years ago
I get very drunk, my cousin starts a fight with someone, my aunt will smoke inside and my mum and uncle will argue at some point.
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