Bachelor Happy Hour: “Crazy Holiday Drama | Golden Hour”
Date: December 17, 2025
Hosts: Kathy & Susan
Episode Overview
In this special holiday episode of "Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour," Kathy and Susan navigate the complexities of the season: holiday traditions, navigating grief, family drama, gift-giving etiquette, and blending cultural and religious customs. The hosts share personal anecdotes—with plenty of humor and heartfelt moments—offering both practical advice and emotional support for listeners facing the ups and downs of the holidays.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Holiday Preparations & Traditions
(03:59–07:14)
- Packing & Planning: Both hosts are deep in holiday preparations, with Kathy proud to have almost all gifts wrapped and Susan gearing up for travel—weather permitting.
- Baking Traditions: Both are big on baking. Kathy highlights her family’s new “hooky cookie day” (06:10), where everyone skips work/school to bake together, while Susan’s family has the longstanding tradition of “Sister Cookie Day” complete with mimosas and lots of mess.
Memorable Quote:
“Darling, 'no' is a complete sentence. Hey, we're gonna do it at your house this year. Yeah, see, so stop, stop bitching and moaning because... it’s tradition.” – Kathy (06:57)
Navigating Grief During the Holidays
(07:14–12:08, 17:24–18:45)
- Personal Reflections on Loss: Kathy opens up about her husband’s passing and the emotional difficulty of ornament traditions and passing down family heirlooms (08:00). The holidays amplify emotions and memories of lost loved ones.
- Coping Strategies: Allowing oneself to feel sadness is healthy, and keeping traditions alive honors loved ones. Susan discusses the importance of acknowledging absent family members during holiday gatherings.
Notable Moment:
Kathy shares the story of bequeathing a cherished handmade nativity set to her son—the joy and sadness it evoked, and the meaning in generational tradition.
“It’s sad and happy at the same time. I think the way I deal with grief at the holidays is to allow myself to be sad, you know, when I am.” – Kathy (09:04)
Susan reinforces the importance of reflection:
“Grief also, a lot of times this time of the year, people pass. ...It is a fact during the holiday season.” – Susan (09:34)
Family Drama: When Holidays Get Messy
(18:45–22:35)
- Unavoidable Tension: Kathy says, “If your family doesn’t have drama in the holidays, you don’t have a family.” She recounts canceling a holiday dinner due to a pre-meal meltdown among her teenage kids—admitting it was “drama with a capital D-R-A-M-A” (19:59).
- Advice: Set expectations early, communicate plans (menu, traditions) ahead of time, and don’t be afraid to set boundaries—or say no. Susan’s advice is to avoid drama when possible and not force yourself to attend events that might bring stress or negativity (20:55).
Quotable Advice:
“Set your holidays up for success. Set expectations early... Now if I could go back and do it, that would be what I would do.” – Kathy (21:36)
Gift-Giving in Relationships
(22:35–27:32, 33:21–33:56)
- How Soon is Too Soon? Susan and Kathy discuss the etiquette of exchanging gifts early in a new relationship. Both lean towards giving, but agree it depends on the dynamic.
- Best Practices: Clearly communicate about exchanging gifts and set a spending limit to avoid awkwardness. Personal, meaningful gifts matter more than price.
- Family Gift Exchange Tips: For large families, drawing names (white elephant, blue Santa) is recommended to keep things fun and affordable.
Quotes:
“If I were dating a man for two months at Christmas... I would expect some kind of gift at Christmas. I would.” – Kathy (22:56)
“I like surprising people with [gifts]. And it doesn’t have to be something of value, right?” – Susan (23:33)
“If you’re going to have the conversation, maybe you should put a limit, an amount.” – Susan (33:21)
Merging & Honoring Holiday Traditions
(33:56–39:53)
- Blending Religious & Cultural Backgrounds: Kathy shares her experience with both Christmas and Hanukkah—her mother was Christian, her father Jewish. She explains Hanukkah’s traditions (gifts, menorah, and that it’s not a religious holiday like Rosh Hashanah) (34:59).
- Evolving Family Menus: Both share how food traditions shift—Susan’s Italian “seven fishes” Christmas Eve, escarole soup, and pasta; Kathy’s baking, turkey, and the rare crown roast. Both agree it’s healthy to change or break traditions as families grow and tastes evolve.
Funny Exchange:
“I honestly think traditions are meant to be broken. And I know that sounds crazy. I like bringing in some new surprises every year.” – Kathy (39:53)
Spending the Holidays With a Partner’s Family
(40:10–43:49)
-
Would You “Switch” Christmas? The hosts discuss whether, for a serious relationship, they’d skip their usual family gathering to spend Christmas with a partner’s family.
-
Different Perspectives: Susan wouldn’t leave her own kids on Christmas:
“I would never leave my children on Christmas. I would do it on Thanksgiving or Easter or New Year’s, but I won’t leave on Christmas.” – Susan (40:48)Kathy is more open:
“If I met the guy that I was...that I just couldn’t wait to wake up next to...I would absolutely [spend Christmas with his family].” (42:30)
Passing the Baton: Letting the Next Generation Host
(43:49–47:32)
-
Letting Go: Many families experience a shift as adult children take over hosting duties. Kathy describes how her daughter now hosts Christmas dinner:
“It’s like passing the baton, which you have not done...” – Kathy (44:44) -
Susan’s Hesitation: Susan is more reluctant, cherishing the joy of having extended family under one roof, but acknowledges the importance of letting the next generation build their own traditions.
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A Big Difference: Their family histories shape their perspectives—Susan and most of her family live locally, while Kathy's immediate family bonds were built far from her childhood home due to moves after marriage.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “‘No’ is a complete sentence.” – Kathy (06:57)
- “If your family doesn’t have drama in the holidays, you don’t have a family.” – Kathy (18:45)
- “I couldn’t get through the holiday fast enough… I honestly don’t even remember, but I know I didn’t celebrate.” – Kathy on the first years after her husband’s death (10:15)
- “I think the way I deal with grief at the holidays is…allow myself to be sad.” – Kathy (09:04)
- “Set expectations early...tell them ahead of time what the expectations are.” – Kathy (21:36)
- “If I’m being honest, the holidays are not the same to me because I don’t have that special person to share them with.” – Kathy (17:24)
- “I honestly think traditions are meant to be broken. And I know that sounds crazy. I like bringing in some new surprises every year.” – Kathy (39:53)
- “I would never leave my children on Christmas.” – Susan (40:48)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Holiday Prep & Baking Traditions: 03:59–07:14
- Grief & Coping During Holidays: 07:14–12:08; 17:24–18:45
- Family Drama & Advice: 18:45–22:35
- Gift-Giving Etiquette in Relationships: 22:35–27:32; 33:21–33:56
- Merging Traditions & Holiday Foods: 33:56–39:53
- Spending Holidays with a Partner’s Family: 40:10–43:49
- Passing Traditions to the Next Generation: 43:49–47:32
Closing Thoughts
Kathy and Susan’s warmth, candor, and friendship make the episode a relatable, therapeutic listen for anyone bracing for holiday turbulence. From honoring memories and managing grief, to embracing change in family traditions and handling unavoidable drama, their insights encourage both self-compassion and intentionality. As always, the hosts find laughter amid the chaos, proving that the real magic of the holidays lies in connection, flexibility, and love.