Extended family gatherings can indeed be fraught. These days, they seldom happen in the Dillon Empire, and never at Christmas. We are too far flung, here in the southwest, so Christmas in our immediate family has been just us for the last nearly twenty years. We rather like it that way.

That said, when there is a big family gathering (outside of Christmas), it can get a bit boisterous. On my side it is all pretty good-humoured. On my wife's side, it's a bit more complicated.