Christmas is a rather invasive holiday. Before December even starts, Mariah Carey and Wham!'s multi-million hits and talks of gifts-shopping tire your ears. Supermarkets start selling festive foodas early as October, and tinsel and other Christmas decor appear everywhere without any regard to whether it fits the interior.
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The pervasiveness of the season may make you roll your eyes and catch yourself thinking ‘I hate Christmas’, and you won’t be alone in this.
According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, 38% of people said their stress level increases during the holidays. Here is why people find ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ emotionally challenging or even downright painful.
‘Christmas will never be the same again’ for bereaved families
For those who have lost loved ones, Christmas can dredge up painful memories, with the feeling of void intensified.
It can be even worse for those whose beloved family members died around the Yuletide or had to spend the holiday in the hospital or the hospice.
Obligatory family gatherings are not for everyone
Some people prefer to spend the holidays away from their family because they can’t handle the pressure from their well-wishing relatives.
‘When are you going to marry/remarry?’ and ‘When are you going to have children?’ are just a few questions people would rather not go into while sipping on their mulled wine.
Christmas shopping gets the better of people
Many retail workers admit that their job got them hating Christmas. Watching people become ugly over the money they were spending on each other, yelling at employees about out-of-stock items, watching drivers block parking spots with their bodies rather than let others get them, and other ‘acts of ugliness’ is the opposite of what festive spirit is all about.
Some find ‘the same old Christmas’ boring and stale
Not everyone appreciates hearing the same Christmas carols for the 500th time.
Planning and celebrating Christmas takes over quite a chunk of your life, and for many, having it roll around 11 months after they put it away doesn’t give them time to miss it. At some point, the ritual becomes routine, and 'the routine becomes stress'.
Sources used:
- Good Housekeeping: Why Do Some People Hate Christmas? It's Actually More Common Than You Think
- American Psychological Association: What We Know About the Holiday Blues
