Well, the dreaded holidays are fast approaching. Time for us lonely hearts to feel even more alone.

Now, being 50+ we probably have children that have families that we wish we had more time with.

What about starting some new family traditions?

Mid-October:
Pumpkin Carving Picnic -
Get everyone together and go outside and carve some pumpkins. If weather permits, have a bbq or a nice cold picnic. Play some music, have the grandkids invite their friends and make a day of it. There is a bunch of pumpkin carving stencils you can download from the internet and at night you can roast the seeds.

Halloween Costume ShinDig -
Get everyone together with some supplies and old clothes, Get creative and come up with some unique costumes for Halloween. I dressed my kids in boxes one year with wrapping paper and bows and they went as Christmas Presents. One year I put my son in a clear plastic bag with balloons and he was a bag of jelly beans. Use your imagination but mostly HAVE FUN!

Thanksgiving Dinner Recipe Bonanza -
Get your adult children together and blitz some recipe ideas for Thanksgiving Dinner. Desserts are so easy, have sugar, add some goodness and woola, unique dish.
Koolaid Pie, a pack of koolaid, a bowl of coolwhip, some sugar and a graham cracker pie shell and BANG! Koolaid Pie!

Christmas Window Shopping Trip -
Get that grandkids together and do a shopping trip where you don't buy anything. Take a notepad. Jot down the things that the kids get excited about that are affordable and take wonder at their innocence. Afterward, stop for ice cream or snacks and enjoy their company.

Quest for the Light Show -
After dark take the kids on a tour of the neighborhood, checking out each and every household Christmas Light show. Get the kids talking and revisit their favorites.

Its all about sharing. You share with them and they share their wonder and amazement with you. The formality isn't important, what is important is that you redirect your lonely thinking and lose yourself in the moment.

So, What other activities, traditions or distractions do you do to make the Holidays not so depressing?

Some great ideas but I am wondering why we have to do these activities with just Grandkids? Many of the ideas sound like a fun activity for a solo date or a singles party.

Maybe if more people would host single activities there would not be so many lonesome singles.

Holidays...yippy!!!...love them all...was just thinking No.1 will be setting up his Halloween yard...if I remember he was bragging about a new addition he got last year... The forums and the holidays are so much fun..

The heart of this topic was to inspire just that. Presently, I do such things with my children's families but the company is always open.

Yes, it would be fun and a great way to meet other singles if something could be arranged but distance is a factor for most.

One other thing, I am in my children's lives and my special someone will also have their children in their lives. Activities that include my grandchildren bring me happiness.

Traditions can't be formed during the beginning of a relationship because traditions require repetition. The first time you spend the holidays with someone no matter what you two decide to do it is the first time. You can call it a tradition if you are still a couple during the next holiday season and you repeat the activity.

Lets expand this topic to include ideas to create new traditions using the dating mindset. Ideas that, once done, could become fun traditions for the both of you.

{Brain switching gears}

Places where there is good snowfall:

* Snow-Couple Building - You play in the snow and build a pair of snow-people and dress them to be representations of the both of you. Take pictures. Afterward go inside for some nice hot coco or a hot toddy. Make the scene special by creating snow angels around the Snow-Couple.

* Midnight (10-2am) sled-riding.
* Winter Campfire

Places where there is no significant snowfall:

* Wreath Quest - go out looking for components to build wreaths.
* Wreath Building Party - Get everyone together and break out all the different stuff you accumulated and build wreaths. Build lots of them and give them away to neighbors.

* Store Decoration Tour - Go visit lots of different stores and enjoy the unique decorations. Visit a boutique, a farm store, a car dealership, many mom & pop stores. Discuss the best (talking is really good for dating...LOL)

* The Autumn Drive - I know of some very beautiful and serene places to visit during the Fall. Take your date on a wonderful drive thru the Autumn scenery with good music and lots of talk. Find some pecan trees and stop to gather some for later. Strip your feet and wade in a freezing cold but crystal clear stream. Stop at a little shop for refreshments. Walk thru a historic small town hand in hand.

{Brain just suddenly stopped}

I'm sure there are many, many fun things to do that I failed to mention.

I love the holiday's even being single and my kids and family so scattered there is always something going on.
For some reason holiday times don't get me down and depressed maybe because there is so much going on...

Great thread and a lot of ideas...

Personally I never really decorated much for Halloween. I know many of my friends go all out for the Halloween display. That is another good idea!

Drive around different neighborhoods and visit all the great Halloween displays people erect in their yards. For the best ones, take a bag of candy and "Give Them Some Candy" for their efforts.

Thank You!

I am but one person, Imagine all the ideas we could come up with if we tried.

My original comment about the holiday season being depressing is from understanding how others feel at this time of year. Personally, I don't really get depressed about things I don't have. I too keep myself occupied and never feel the lonliness others feel.

This thread is for them. A way to break their holiday blues.
With your comment in mind, I expand this topic once again to include an additional parameter.

Things we can do "by ourselves" to enjoy the holiday season.

Its no fun having a turkey pot pie on Thanksgiving. Many times I have heard people say "I have nothing to be Thankful for this year"
It helps to understand that Thanksgiving is not about being thankful for things in your life. Thanksgiving is a Harvest Holiday. Its about the Food. It's about being thankful for that year's harvest.
Its a time for family and friends to get together and enjoy all the good food and share time with each other.
I've spent some Thanksgivings alone and still enjoyed myself. See, I like me and I like cooking so I have all my favorite dishes and keep myself entertained.

On Halloween, When alone, I do movie marathons. Where I live I don't get any trick or treaters but if I did, I would sit out on the porch and hand out candy.

where i live is about 80 units in a culdesac and we get tons of kids. so i took to decorating the yard and lighting a fire in the patio and dishing out the treats from there

I have a fire pit. Fire pits are great fun and a great way to spend a cozy evening with someone special. I keep those giant marshmellows on hand for fire pit nights.

When I lived in Pennsylvania, I used my fire pit all year round. Snow-covered winter nights, sled riding and a nice fire pit is great for any get together.