This long-term couple spends the holidays a little differently.
Ally and Justin, who have been dating for five years, caused a stir on TikTok when they shared a clip about their decision to spend Christmas apart to celebrate with their families.
“I don’t really feel like this was a conscious decision on our part,” Ally told PEOPLE exclusively. “Justin and I have been dating since we were in college, so the unspoken decision at the time was to go back to our parents’ house for Christmas, and things never really changed.”
Allyne and Justin’s families both live on the East Coast while the couple lives in Colorado, so spending Christmas with loved ones is important as they don’t get to easily see their families throughout the year.
“We’ve both lived on the other side of the country from our families for the last three years — we see each other all the time, but only a few times a year,” says Ally. “With parents and grandparents getting older, you have to value as much time as you can with your family.”
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Despite their separate Christmas celebrations, the couple has found ways to create their own holiday traditions when they’re together. This year, they decorated their shared apartment and celebrated Christmas on December 13. “We made presents and made homemade pasta and watched Christmas movies. So it definitely felt like Christmas even with just the two of us.”
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Ally and Justin.
Ally B
While the two have been keeping up with their tradition for the past five years, Ally predicts plans will evolve in the future as their relationship progresses. “I definitely expect things to change,” she reveals, adding, “Probably sooner rather than later.”
The couple is considering different options to change the tradition, including potentially hosting a family Christmas together or alternating the locations of their families.
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Although the two plan to keep both of their families in their holiday plans, Ally predicts that she and Justin will continue to create their own traditions. “Even if in the future we combine Christmas with our families, I’m sure that in the future we’ll still want to do things just the two of us,” she adds.
Some commenters on TikTok expressed their inability to spend the holidays away from their partners, but Ally says she and Justin felt no such pressure. “It’s always been that way, and I don’t think anyone else has ever questioned it,” Ally notes.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education