Dear Dr. Strangelove,
This Christmas will be the first time my boyfriend of five months will meet my family. My family is very big on the whole Christmas thing, and they take the holidays very seriously. The problem is, my boyfriend doesn’t celebrate Christmas. He’s Catholic, he just thinks the holidays are overrated. Last year my ex-boyfriend refused to participate in the caroling and the decorating of the tree, and my parents hated him. They thought he was a true Scrooge (but it wasn’t even like he didn’t like Christmas)! I’m afraid my family will judge my boyfriend worse than the last one because he really doesn’t like Christmas. I just want to enjoy the holidays, what should I do?
-Scared of another Scrooge
Dear Scared of another Scrooge,
Before you jump the gun, the first thing I would do is tell your boyfriend the deal. You don’t want him to be left in the cold when your parents scold him for his holiday resentment, so to say. If he’s any kind of gentleman, I’m sure he won’t mind putting on a cooperative face to make you happy and please your parents. If anything, he should be nervous to want your parents’ approval, considering your last boyfriend. If he still insists on being grumpy, blame it on the eggnog.
-Dr. Strangelove
