Family politics never take time off, not even for Christmas. After nearly three decades of marriage and mostly peaceful holidays, the 53-year-old wife finds herself stuck in a seasonal standoff that feels more like a turf war than a tradition. Her mother-in-law, once a friendly co-host in the great holiday shuffle, seems to have decided that Christmas parties are competitive sports now. Last year, after being told for years that the hosting duties would pass down to her, the wife finally threw a proper Christmas Eve dinner, only for her mother-in-law to schedule her own event two days earlier with the exact same guest list. The result was an exhausted family driving back and forth like delivery couriers for fruitcake.  

This year, the same thing happens again. Invitations sent early, plans set, and boom, the mother-in-law announces another pre-Christmas gathering three days before the main event. Guests, once again, overlap perfectly. The message is subtle but sharp. There will be one Christmas, and it will not belong to the daughter-in-law.