The pressure of loving this Holiday
We just got in this festive romanticized season, the one that brings people together, that warms our heart one Micheal Bubble song at a time and most of us really enjoy it. To my family and I, Christmas was always the best Holiday, it’s just the way it is for us, we’ve got many traditions and they make us whole. However, it isn’t the same for everybody, I never really thought about why because I lived in this whole gingerbread, Christmas tree bubble, but now I understand how some people can hate it. How there are multiple Grinchs out there, waiting for January to arrive and for all of this to be over this year again. If you’re curious and want to know why, keep reading. If you hate Christmas and try to understand it or just want to hate, keep reading.
Why on earth do some people hate Christmas?
- Down to earth people
Some people just don’t romanticize everything around them and that’s ok, but it’s also a reason why Christmas might be a ‘’normal’’ Holiday for them. Not something to look forward to, but also not something they completely despises. To them, it’s just a normal day where we receive/give gifts and eat a bunch of food. Nothing to be crazy about.
- Money money money
Gosh Christmas really is fucking expensive. I mean, the gifts to your own child, family, family-in-law, boss, colleagues, cousins, friends, pastor, mailman, teacher, government (fucking taxes), your best friend’s brother’s girlfriend’s father-who’s not a biological father but a father that adopted her when she was 5- which you picked in a gift exchange at your mother’s church. Name it, we have to gift everyone or else we feel bad we didn’t.
If you’re receiving, you will also be paying for the food because 8 out of the 17 people there will bring the same thing, 1 will bring a bottle of cheap wine, 2 grandmas will bring either fudge or Christmas log, at least 3 people will say they forgot or their other half didn’t pick up the charcuterie board on time, another will bring juice for the kids and this one angel fallen from heaven will bring their amazing secret recipes & a champagne bottle. In the end, you end up paying for most of the dinner as you are hosting it.
Let’s not even talk about the Christmas decorations you buy every year because either your cat/dog destroyed it or your 5-year-old cousin Kevin broke it at last year’s dinner party.
If you get where I’m going with this, watch Christmas with the Kranks, you won’t be deceived.
- No family or bad memories
As I said earlier, Christmas isn’t joyful for everyone, some people went through some shit multiple years ago at that time of year and are still struggling to be happy because it remembers them of X event.
Or others just don’t have a big tight family and don’t necessarily have someone to celebrate it with them.
That’s one hard truth and I hate knowing people go through this Holiday alone, they shouldn’t and I really hope they make a family of their own one day to celebrate this with, but it may be why December isn’t their favorite month.
To all those people, I wish you the best.
- Religion
Not everyone is Christian, not everyone celebrates Christmas as it is and that’s completely okay because depending on which religion they’re in, they have other Holidays that Christians don’t. I do know some people who aren’t Christians but still celebrate Christmas, which is somethig I love because to me, Christmas isn’t only about religion, it’s about getting closer to your people/family and having a good time showing each other you care by giving gifts, listening to music, and making amends. However, I knew someone a few years ago who didn’t believe in Christmas and didn’t particularly liked this time of year because it was all over the place while it just wasn’t his reality, which is okay. We all have different beliefs, and some of us don’t believe in Christmas and that is completely fine and should be respected.
- Time & effort
To my family and I, traditions are important and we put this time and effort because we want to, we like doing it, but it’s not everybody’s reality and a lot of people don’t really enjoy Christmas because they’re already fucking drained and tired and now they have to get cute, drive 45 minutes in a snow storm to go to Pauline & Gerard’s Christmas dinner where they’ll bring the same meat pie everybody brought (probably will say they made it but bought it at the closest grocery), watch aunt Nancy gift the painting they gifted her two years ago and then drive an other 45 minutes back home at 11PM.
A lot of people see this as fun, but also a lot of people find this exhausting and difficult.
- They work in customer service or in a hospital
Literally shoutout to the people who work in a hospital. At this time of year, almost everybody has a little drink in their hand and sometimes it ends up in bad ideas, or a car wreck because of the snow. They end up being overwhelmed with patients.
Another shoutout to the people in customer service, I mean as much as we can be so happy because it’s Christmas, some people show up with the worst attitude because there aren’t any X item left in store or they want a refund or they just want to tell you how fucking incompetent you are because you didn’t look in the back to confirm there aren’t any Pool Barbie left even though your manager told you earlier the next Barbie order was going to come in in two days. It’s like all the Karen are getting out of their house at the same time. So annoying.
Also, the music, I like Christmas music, but retail worker have had enough of Santa Baby and All I want for Christmas is you which is clearly valid knowing they listen to it 90% of their every shift.
Christmas can’t be everyone’s favorite Holiday as every other Holidays can’t be liked by the whole world too. We just have to respect everyone’s choices and our own limits. To me, it’s about loving and getting together with your loved ones, it’s about drinking eggnog and a naughty martini, it’s about eating everything that’s on the table and taking a good 5 pounds, it’s about dressing cute in gold, silver, green, red, white and putting on Santa’s hat, it’s about telling your kids a fat guy is coming down the chimney to give them a gift you told them all month they wouldn’t get if they didn’t behave, it’s about hearing Uncle Jack’s suspicious money proposal or Aunt Colette tell you she held you in her arms 22 years ago when you were born even though you barely remember her, it’s about having sexy time with your partner and getting closer to them, it’s about getting ready for 2 hours only to put on your pajamas 4 hours after the party started, it’s about putting the fucking heat in your car because it’s crazy cold outside, but mostly, it’s about remembering the people you love and giving them your time even though you may not feel like it.
If you hate Christmas, leave a comment and tell me why you do. However, I still wish you a happy time and fun with the people around you.
Mwah.
