I spent a decade living 1500 miles from any family and really enjoyed not having to do the holidays. I moved back a few years ago and kept my ways of not participating. My family is a fractured mess of divorce spread over 3 hours of driving if one wanted to partake, and, I am a long time Vegan, And, I am a long time non-alcoholic

My family is cool enough, but I have no interest in celebrating genocide while watching them eat animals and get drunk. I am certainly not going to drive 3 hours in the cold and heavy traffic with jacked up gas prices, with a bunch of drunks out on the road.

I told them, pick any other day for any other reason and I would love to come hang.