With the upcoming holidays many of us in the profession will be away from our families. While tough for our loved ones, I've always thought it's harder for us since they are at least around other family or friends.

So! I'd like to hear about what you and your family do for traditions when you can't be home for the holidays. Maybe just to give those new to the industry ideas of ways they can still celebrate and have a fulfilling holiday season even though they might not be home for the actual day(s)

One thing we have began doing is to go as a family to a food shelter or soup style kitchen and volunteer some of our time. We then have a dinner planned that night for friends or family who can make it. Helps to remind us that while getting together and having food, drink, and memories are a big part of the season that there are still those out there that have no one or anything to celebrate. Makes missing the actual holiday seem very trivial and instills a gratitude for what we do have.

Happy Holidays everyone!
🎄

Meals on wheels and transporting the elderly to family and social gatherings.

Not for my family, since I'm away, but I normally try to find some place nice to eat, and buy for the whole crew. It's been expensive sometimes, but I can cover it. It beats reheating something in your room for our more junior FA's and FO's.
This job can suck sometimes, but I try to treat all of us as family. It makes the job easier to take...

Take Care Of Your Crew.

What's a holiday?

Great program!

Great ideas! Kudos to you for taking care of your crew on the holidays!

Keep em coming!

Gratitude.

It's the reason for the season, beginning with....Thanksgiving!

Giving is better than receiving. This is a great example of why that is.

The gift of service here is being reminded that you aren't in that boat, and have it better than those you are helping/serving. To do good while being reminded that there, but for the grace of God, you are. That once you were a low-paid, new FO, but are now a CA earning twice as much. Etc.

Merry Christmas and God bless!

Holiday tradition? Calling in sick.

Heartwarming. Nothing says Christmas like hosing your fellow pilot into flying your trip because you don't have the seniority to hold the days off.

Yeah... these are the same miscreants who call in sick over the weekends too.

As an expat living overseas, i usually don't get home over the holidays. Many crewmembers, like in the U.S., have young families, I notify OCC that I'll volunteer to fly, also on News Year Eve, and Day, so perhaps, some can have a chance to celebrate the holidays together. For me, either way, flying a jet full of pax or overnighting in SYD, or MEL, or LHR isn't all that bad.