Avoid tangling with Debbie Downer.(dealing with negative people during holiday get-togethers)(Holiday Gatherings)

For those of us from families built on Debbie Downer DNA, there is only one direction a mood can go during holiday get-togethers. Sure, the running negative commentary, bubble-bursting barbs, and rampant self-pity were funny coming from comedienne Rachel Dratch on "Saturday Night Live," but few of us can foresee our own Negative Nancys giving us a good belly laugh.

Whether you are the perpetual smiley face among frowners, or a bit of a Depressing Dan yourself, there are tricks that can be employed to keep table talk from getting lethal, advises Paula Renaye, a professional life coach and author of The Hardline Self Help Handbook: What Are You Willing to Do to Get What You …