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By Sarah Hall
The Holiday in itself is stressful for most; decorating, buying presents, planning vacations, cooking, hosting family, etc. But for others, it's more than that, it is a deep loneliness, hopelessness, or grieving in addition to the stress of the holiday, plus the weather and darkness is physically making people gloomy. Seasonal depression has been around forever and many people struggle with it.
Christmas cheer makes some people want to barf. People are shoving happiness down your throat and telling you that you should be happy, it makes some people rebel against the idea of being joyful. The bright colors, the super smiley people, Christmas music. For some people, the whole holiday is miserable.
It is typically not the holiday itself, but what it represents for some. It's grieving lost loved ones or not having people to celebrate with. The holidays are supposed to help you appreciate those around the table with you, but sometimes it makes you realize that there is an empty place where someone used to be. Hallmark Christmas movies make you realize you don't have a significant other and Christmas shoppers make you realize you don't have anyone to give or get gifts from.
It could also not just be people but material things. It makes you realize you don't have money for gifts or dinner. Again, the holiday shoves gratefulness down your throat, but it makes you realize where you are lacking. You don't have a nice house or a well-paying job, or you don't have enough money to do all of the fun Christmas activities.
If you aren't lacking in the money department or you have a big family, then the holidays can just be really stressful. If you are hosting Christmas, then you have to make a huge dinner, seat a bunch of people, keep everyone happy, and before all that you have to clean the house for your guests. It is a lot of work, energy, and money. In addition to hosting you have to worry about giving loved ones gifts; family, significant others, friends, kids if you have them, etc.
Some people really struggle with the "Christmas blues”, whether it is hosting Christmas, gift shopping, money, grief, loneliness, the cold, etc. All these are reasons for why people hate the holidays, and if it's not one of those then they might just be the Grinch. I don’t know, sometimes Christmas music is just irritating.
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