Write about a family’s first holiday after a parent has gotten remarried, and now there are new faces at the table and new traditions to be honored.

Posted in Holiday on Jun 12, 2021

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✍️ 98 stories

“Compromise” by Faith Earnest

Submitted to Contest #69

Mara was sulking in her bedroom. This was becoming a rather common occurrence for her. Downstairs was the Christmas tree, fully decorated and lit up in the living room of the house she’d been living in for just three months. Normally, Mara loved decorating the Christmas tree, but this morning, while her father, step-mother Valerie, and step sister Janice, were decorating the tree, she was sulking in her bedroom. It was Thanksgiving Day, and Mara felt it should be illegal to put the tree up so early. She and her family always put the tree up ...

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“New Beginnings” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #69

Julie made her way slowly round the table, plonking down silverware, unaware of her brother’s approach. She shrieked as he sneaked up behind and whirled her off her feet, knives and forks clattering as they fell. “You nearly gave me a heart attack,” she said, trying to look angry as he laughed, but grinning despite herself. Their mother Ethel appeared in the doorway, looking harried. “What happened? Did something break?” she said, pushing her hair back from her sweaty ...

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“LOVE WITH HEART AND SOUL” by Lucia Menini

Submitted to Contest #69

“To tell you the true, I could not wait for this…” whispered Aunt Dani to her sister Moly who, rolling her small eyes said, I know what you mean…oh God! They were seated at the large and very well ornamented table for Christmas. The food, cakes, breads, and pies smelt so strongly good that was like it could be tasted. The house was smelling Christmas Day! For that family, Christmas Day was always a day when all gathered at Papa Joe and Mama Alicia house. They were married for 45 years, when a cervix cancer took her in less than 3 months aft...

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“New Traditions ” by Benjamin Miller

Submitted to Contest #69

Home. It had been a long while. Two years, give or take. Long enough for the hedges to grow wild again. Long enough that even the simplest matters of neglect could be felt in the gut like a punch. A tangle of bird nest amid the gutters was a staunch reminder of Dads absence. Apparently, two years was long enough for some people to move on. Recovery from loss was bound to be messy for anyone, even more so for someone as sensitive as Mother. She was regularly seeking solace within her support groups after the incident. That was understanda...

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“Ties and Traditions” by Micheala September

Submitted to Contest #69

Holidays were always fun. She always looked forward to the thanksgiving dinners and the Christmas lunches where her families got together. Differences were always put aside those days. While there was always the odd aunt or uncle arguing in another room, they’d been big enough for their voices to overtake their shouting.That was before her parents divorced. Before her mom decided Christmas and Thanksgiving wasn’t worth celebrating if it just meant her own family would be looking at her as if she were the one who committed a crime. That was b...

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“Oh Unholy Walpurgis Night ” by Sybil Goodheart

Submitted to Contest #69

Edgar had to make the manor tidy for Walpurgis Night. That meant he had to mop the dried out blood off the stairs from dragging victims up and down it, clear the chimney and basements and any other open cavasses where bats can freely fly in and out of them, and dust the candelabras littered with spiders, dust, and webs. Edgar strung the apron tighter around him, really, what insidious thought made him want to murder his only servant the night before a momentous event that would shape all their centuries to come? He had to be mad, delirious… ...

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“Strangers” by Stephanie Phyu

Submitted to Contest #69

It had been years since her mother and father divorced, leaving five-year-old Bexley to waft in her own confusion and in a state of distraught. The heavy pain of watching her mother leave the house with the suitcases they had previously used to go on vacations with the family was always with her, even now as a junior in high school. She lived with her father all those years, his girlfriends coming in and out, cycling through, never quite fitting the presence of her mother. Bexley lay in bed, watching shapes form in the darkness of her ceilin...

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“Family Dinner” by A. Tangen

Submitted to Contest #69

The left side of the table was quiet, watching. The right, filled with their father's new wife's family, was boisterous and bold. It was as if someone had turned on a faucet and they couldn't keep their mouths' shut. Alexei turned to his sister and rolled his eyes. When Zara, Alexei and Ameli's mom, died, their father remarried. Unfortunately, Hannah happened to be their mom's best friend. Shocking. Nonetheless, their father insisted that he had not cheated on Zara and that they would grow to love Hannah as a mother; if only they try. So, th...

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“CHANGE” by MALIK 1

Submitted to Contest #69

Do you know that feeling, when you’re parents out of the blue announces that they’re getting a divorce! Well, I have been in one of these situations and trust me it’s worse than you imagine. My parents never fought or shouted at each other so I couldn’t figure the reason. I was devastated and sad, upset and angry but nothing could make us one happy family again. My sister chose to stay with dad because dad loved and understood her more in her view. I decided to stay with mum, honestly, I love her more IDK why but I just do. Mom and I shifted...

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“A Brand New Christmas ” by Bri Stewart

Submitted to Contest #69

Maybe it was the fact that it was our first Christmas with John that made things weird or perhaps it was the fact that he was officially our stepdad that made things weird. His family and ours never spent Christmas together. John would usually take his four kids a state over so they could see their bio mother and her family while we would stay here. The beginning of the holidays started weird even. My twin brother, Dominic, and I came home f...

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“Spending the holidays with Strangers ” by Blue Tullis

Submitted to Contest #69

Spending the holidays with Strangers Blue Tullis It's so close! I sit at my desk, glaring up at the clock. Only a couple more seconds... RRIIINNNNGGGGGGGG “YES, YAHOO!” I jump out of my seat and run for the door, “Christmas break!” “You wish,” A squeaky voice says behind me and laughs, “, you are going to have to wait a few more classes until you can go.” “Ugh,” I sigh, “I know, I was just practicing for later today.” I roll my eyes and wrap an arm around him “It's a...

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“Not Under the Mistletoe” by J.B. Dixon

Submitted to Contest #69

“Alright, Dad, alright. We’ll see you and Tamerlene in Cambridge. I’ll have Roger tell his mother to set an extra place at the table. Love you, too. Bye.” Terry hung up and let out a frustrated growl. “I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later.” “Your dad bringing the new wife to Christmas dinner?” Roger asked, finishing the wrap job on another gift. “Yep, and while I’m not thrilled about it, I’m gonna suck it up. She stood up to get a cup of coffee when her mobile went off. “Yeah, pop?” She listened for a moment then rolled her eyes....

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“New Way to Celebrate Thanksgiving” by LuAnn Williamson

Submitted to Contest #69

New Way to Celebrate Thanksgiving By LuAnn Williamson “Don’t make me go!” Andrea knew her voice sounded whiney and petulant, much like a spoiled child, and she didn’t care. “Andrea, we’ve both got to go,” Josh, her husband, said while making sure the diaper bag was packed and the deserts were stacked on the table and ready to go out the door when the baby woke up from her nap. “It’s your Father,” Josh said, trying to keep his ...

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“Hard to be Holly-Jolly” by Eliza Post

Submitted to Contest #69

“We’re doing what?” I flinched as Dad gave Ryan a look I was usually the one getting. “We’re having an early Christmas dinner with Kathy and Daniel.” “Yeah, I heard you but I didn’t think you were serious!” Dad stiffened. “Excuse me?” “Ryan,” I whispered, “stop.” He shook me off. “No, Tony! You don’t get it.” He wheeled back to Dad and shouted, “How could you do this to Mom??” He turned and stomped away, flat-out ignoring Dad’s, “Ryan! Don’t you walk away from me!” His bedroom door slammed shut and Dad turned to me with a sigh. “You’re...

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“Kindred Connection” by Holly Larson

Submitted to Contest #69

“This is where we are having Thanksgiving?! Are you kidding me?!” screeched Tessa. It was as if someone had her drink a cup of dark coffee with five tablespoons of mustard in it. Her face was contorted in horror and abhorrence to the situation presented in front of her. Why can’t we just have Thanksgiving at home? Or maybe Conrad should just have Thanksgiving here with Jenny? Then Mom and I can have Thanksgiving like we usually do with Grandma and Grandpa. Tessa knew,of course, that this wasn’t going to happen. Her mother was tryin...

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Write about a family’s first holiday after a parent has gotten remarried, and now there are new faces at the table and new traditions to be honored.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 98 stories

“Compromise” by Faith Earnest

“New Beginnings” by Bettina Karpathian

“LOVE WITH HEART AND SOUL” by Lucia Menini

“New Traditions ” by Benjamin Miller

“Ties and Traditions” by Micheala September

“Oh Unholy Walpurgis Night ” by Sybil Goodheart

“Strangers” by Stephanie Phyu

“Family Dinner” by A. Tangen

“CHANGE” by MALIK 1

“A Brand New Christmas ” by Bri Stewart

“Spending the holidays with Strangers ” by Blue Tullis

“Not Under the Mistletoe” by J.B. Dixon

“New Way to Celebrate Thanksgiving” by LuAnn Williamson

“Hard to be Holly-Jolly” by Eliza Post

“Kindred Connection” by Holly Larson

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a family adapting a holiday tradition to take place over video chat.

Write about someone who falls back into childish behaviors whenever they’re around their family.

Write about someone who didn’t get along with their family as a child, but has since found an appreciation for them.

Write about someone telling their family they won’t be continuing the long-standing family business.

Contest #69

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

510

Contest entries

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Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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