YOUR Top Five Ways To Survive the Holidays

Did you see the Rally$weeps for this month? Check it out here: https://rly.pt/32nux4Y
RP members were asked to share their best tips for getting through the holidays away from family or loved ones in order to be entered to win $100. But really, everyone wins with all the great advice! Below are the top five responses from YOU:

Create Your Own Celebration - Who says you need a tree, Menorah or Kinara? Recognizing a holiday doesn’t have to involve old traditions, especially if you find yourself in new places. Be with those around you and use what you have on hand.

When I was over in South Korea, I would get most of my buddies in the barracks to get a party going and play call of duty or super smash bros and order a lot of pizza. It was always awesome and good memories. - PFC William Stevens

I would get a group of other airmen together that were also on base for the holiday. We would try to BBQ or crock pot a stew and each person was assigned a task to complete. - TSgt DeMaris Hoyt

Try out the local festivities or places of worship - The military provides unique opportunities to experience holidays from around the world. From weihnachtsmarkts in Germany to kurisumasu keki (Christmas cake) in Japan, there’s a wide variety of traditions you can learn and even bring home for your own families.

When I was away from home, I found a family run Chinese restaurant to eat at. Turned out that the waitress was from the same hometown as my dad. They insisted on making an "off menu" dish of dumplings, saying (loosely translated) that eating dumplings is a holiday tradition. Now when I eat dumplings around the holidays, I remember the kindness of strangers in a foreign land who made a guy feel at home. - LTC John Chang

I remember when I was in Germany during the holidays I tried to learn German and learn their culture and customs. A family took me in and invited me for Christmas. They had a live tree with real candles lit on the branches and also celebrated with an advent calendar and a very good meal. It was an experience that I'll never forget. - SSG Rafael R. Rodriguez Sr.

Host a meal or accept an invitation - So many folks talked about the kindness of superiors or comrades hosting a meal in which everyone with nowhere to go was invited. In almost every case, those who accepted an invitation also talked about paying it forward when they had their own family and could entertain a new crop of lonely souls.

While I was serving, I would take part in any and all of the different programs offered on post. Later, when I married my wife, I would host holiday dinners for troops I was in charge of who did not have anything to do or anyplace to go. - SSG Franklin Briant

Volunteer for duty - This was another pay-it-forward approach to surviving the holidays alone.

Volunteer to feed the homeless, or hand out gifts to families in need. Helps to develop the right perspective. - SrA Shane Clark

I would work during the holidays so I could let someone else have time off to call, video chat or whatever they needed to do to get through. - FC Teresa Rademacher

Get Creative - There are many ways to be together, and not all include geography. Check Google for a myriad of ideas to stay close while far apart.

The best thing my wife and I tried to do was plan ahead the best we could to share things/events. United Through Reading was a great tool. We would buy the books we knew about ahead of time, I would record myself reading, and my family would have copies of the books to follow along. This way we could 'read' together, and that was great. - MGySgt Douglas Dickover

I personally worked on hobbies like photography and designing art. Not only did it help with time but also gave me a way to express myself and offer something to send to family. Like personalized holiday cards and photos. - SPC Michael Vascellaro

Don’t forget to share your ideas on Rally$weeps by 12/31/21 to enter for a chance to win $100. More importantly, you might just provide the idea someone needs to make it through a holiday separation from loved ones.

Comments edited for length and clarity.