Do you often mutter under your breath “I hate Christmas!”? Then this article is surely for you! Yes, I hate Christmas too, and I’ll explain why!
Do you secretly dread the time of the year when everyone is going gaga over the holiday spirit? You don’t have to be a real-life Grinch if you do so. And you are not alone! So if you have been questioning yourself is it normal to hate Christmas, read this article to find out what’s about this festival that rubs people like us up the wrong way.
Research suggests that Christmas can bring on immense stress for many people and trigger a lot of negative emotions. A huge section of people either discreetly or openly loathe this holiday and can’t wait for it to get over.
So, why do people hate Christmas? There’s a long list of reasons why people like you and I hate Christmas. Let’s check them out!
Reasons Why I Hate Christmas
Although the pressure of Christmas affects the psyche of people in different ways, I have compiled a list of the most common reasons that make Christmas iffy. So, here’re the reasons to hate Christmas!
1. Toxic Family
Christmas is a perfect opportunity for families to get together. Unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with a happy one. People who come from dysfunctional families or have suffered abuse or trauma while growing up, find it extremely difficult to attend these obligatory family gatherings.
Moreover, there are those toxic relatives who pop up only to make snide comments and make us feel crap about ourselves. Who needs that kind of negativity?
Also Read: Dealing with Toxic Family Members: Narcissistic Abuse Recovery
2. Holiday Shopping
Christmas puts on us a huge burden of gift-giving, compelling us to make that last-minute frantic search for the ideal Christmas present for our cousin whom we have not seen in the past 5 years.
It is stressful enough to make time from our busy schedules and go for the customary holiday shopping to buy everything on our ever-growing shopping list, not to mention the financial burden and anxiety it brings along.
3. Lack of Perspective
Many of us seem to have forgotten the actual reason for the season among this whole Christmas mayhem. People hardly think about the less fortunate ones and have made this whole occasion a celebration of consumerism and commercialization. Our Christmas spirit is now all about presents and putting up expensive lights and decorations to show off our riches.
4. Environment
The ill effects of Christmas on nature and the environment are hard to miss. Not only do we use excessive fossil fuels for our bright lights and blow-up machines, but it is also a sad and pointless act to cut down a tree in its prime, only to decorate its lifeless body with plastic and non-degradable items. And all these for what? Only to throw it out after a few days.
5. Imposition
One of the main reasons why I hate Christmas is surely the way society imposes it on people of other communities. For a country that values cultural competence and separates the state from the church, it is highly inappropriate to assume that every citizen celebrates Christmas.
Wishing Merry Christmas to all and sundry and not allowing any other religious festival to be an official holiday, makes Christmas a festival to despise for many in the US.
Also Read: What Is Spirituality?
6. Spiritual Beliefs
There are many contradictory views when it comes to the origin of Christmas. Many believe that Christians have hijacked this season from the Pagans who used to celebrate the Winter Solstice around this time of year. There’s also a popular belief that Jesus wasn’t really born in December.
Also Read: Sun and Sabbats: The 8 Most Important Wiccan Holidays
Let’s Take A Look At Some More Reasons Why You and I Hate Christmas:
- Remembering tragic events that happened around this time.
- People working in retail and hospitality get severely stressed due to the rush and hostile behaviors of their clients.
- Christmas takes up a lot of time and space in our busy lives.
- The mandatory practices make Christmas a routine job, rather than a festival.
- Many find it absurd to make children believe in Santa Clause and his connection with the holiday.
Christmas And Mental Health
The raging side effect of Christmas is the detrimental impact it has on mental health. Although this festival can boost the mood of some people, it can do serious harm to others.
Winter brings winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder in many individuals. Coupled with that, Christmas can prove to be too much for our state of mind. The financial burden, shopping, and time constraints, all contribute to the rising of our stress levels and the deterioration of our emotional well-being.
Adding to that list, when we are forced to come to family gatherings against our will and be in presence of one or more toxic family members, it makes us vulnerable and distressed.
Also Read: Why Family Scapegoats Become Lifelong Victims?
Think about the emotional state of couples in unhappy marriages or family members grieving the loss of a loved one during the holidays! Their mental health at Christmas time goes down too.
I Hate Christmas, But How To Cope?
Christmas doesn’t have to remain a stressor forever. There are some useful tips that people who hate Christmas can adopt to cope with the holiday blues. Have a look:
- Customize your Christmas and celebrate it your way by inventing new family or personal traditions.
- If your beliefs don’t align with those of your family, find out your core values and make your holiday around those values.
- If you want to do something for others, volunteer or donate.
- If you want, make travel plans during Christmas and don’t feel guilty about skipping the festival.
Yes, I Hate Christmas, But Nothing Is More Important Than My Mental Health
Christmas is an occasion to celebrate and enjoy with your loved ones. But that doesn’t mean you have to do it at the expense of your well-being. You can celebrate Christmas in any way you want to and by creating innovative ways to celebrate this holiday, someday, hopefully, we won’t have to ruefully make the statement “I hate Christmas”!
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