Are the holidays depressing?

[monique1971]

(I have a major writing project I need to finish tonight, so of course I am taking "Lit breaks." I know, not the path to productivity.)

Do you find the holidays depressing? Every year I find my mood sinks a little more at this time of year. I want to be festive, I really do. And I'm a nice person. I like getting Christmas cards with pictures of my friends' kids. I like Christmas cookies. I like potato latkes. Even so, I want to hibernate for the next 3 weeks.

Is is the bad childhood memories? The wasteful and pointless consumerism? Or am I missing some kind of holiday gene on my chromosomes?

I didn't set up a poll, but am curious to hear others' views.

 

[burninlove]

I think the desire to hide ourselves away or hibernate is primordial, hence the many different winter festivals and saturnalia to turn away our minds from the long, dark night. They exist in every culture and religion. The winter is already a depressing time for our bodies and minds, and then we make it worse by loading it down with unrealistic expectations of a picture perfect holiday and attempts to buy our way into happiness.

 

[ShinigamiSama]

(I have a major writing project I need to finish tonight, so of course I am taking "Lit breaks." I know, not the path to productivity.)

Do you find the holidays depressing? Every year I find my mood sinks a little more at this time of year. I want to be festive, I really do. And I'm a nice person. I like getting Christmas cards with pictures of my friends' kids. I like Christmas cookies. I like potato latkes. Even so, I want to hibernate for the next 3 weeks.

Is is the bad childhood memories? The wasteful and pointless consumerism? Or am I missing some kind of holiday gene on my chromosomes?

I didn't set up a poll, but am curious to hear others' views.

same
its nice to hang out with family and all
but I get bored tired and frustrated
you cant go anywhere
do anything
because everywhere is packed to death with all these x-mass shoppers and such its not even worth it..

 

[bluebell]

I'm a latke

Oh god, Shin, how right you are...

And no, Monique, you're not the only one. I definitely get like that even though I must admit that I've never actually eaten a latke. I've heard "The Latke Song" by Debbie Freidman, though. Alllllllll last Christmas, to be exact (worked at Borders)

I was just telling a friend tonight that I love decorations, but I have no desire to decorate, and that I want to demand a cheerful holiday spirit from other people and not have it myself

Personally, I blame January. And then there's February, shamelessly egging it along...

 

[JustaShell]

Well, for me, the holidays are a mixed bag. Sure I like the atmosphere and visiting my folks is fun. (Not to mention it gives me a legitimate excuse to tell my squabbling younger brothers to SHUT THE FUCK UP.)
But still, I can't help feeling kind of depressed. Maybe it's all the commercialism out there. Try standing in line for the new Nintendo system. (Gift for younger siblings.) Some of those moms out there are vicious.
Or perhaps it's just because I am without a mate for the holidays. *shrug*

 

[bluebell]

I am the Dungeon Master (not really)

Shell, your sig line is great.

 

[sparc101]

I don' t find holidays necessary depressing.. perhaps its more depressing to have to go back to work after the holiday.

The one holiday I enjoy most is Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a very social fun time.. eat, drink and be marry... oh.. maybe some sex too. thats probably part of the marry

 

[JustaShell]

Shell, your sig line is great.

Hehe, thanks. I'm quite fond of it myself.

 

[Shyguy1369]

I put on a 'face' of holiday cheer, but mostly I do find the holidays depressing. But for me I think its more due to being alone at this time of year than anything else. I have been single for the last 8 holiday years and each year just makes it more and more depressing. Seeing friends and family while it may be nice, just reminds me more of my own lonliness, so yeah... this time of year is depressing to me.

 

[Night_Jasmine]

For me, Christmas has not been the same since my grandmother passed a few years ago. She was the one that made everything about Christmas special. Since her death, traditions have gone out the window and it's just not the same anymore. It's like the magic has gone out of it.

To top it off, I'm alone now and can't seem to get myself into the Christmas spirit at all. I'm hoping one day to meet someone who can bring the magic back to me. Sounds silly, huh?

 

[SensualMan_in_PA]

I don't find the holidays as depressing as they are annoying. First, it is no longer socially acceptable to say "Merry Christmas". IMHO "Happy Holidays" went from a greeting to include all manner of celebration to one making it a generic business, school and government day off. Marketing begins around Halloween. They might as well have Santa trick-or-treating! Cars, techno-gadgets, jewelry and a myriad of kids' toys are all touted as the perfect and expected gift to go with the perfect party and perfect dinner. With so many unrealistic expectations it's no wonder so many become depressed! I'm just happy to be in the company of my son and daughter-in-law and daughter's family and to see the grandkids open their presents.

 

[DarkrSide]

I moved away from the rest of my family in 2000. So the holidays are always bad, im in Florida and they are all in CT. This year it's even worse cause my grandfather is in the hospital. So right now, the holidays are depressing.

 

[artistgonewyld]

It just depends on the situation. I don't think anyone likes being single during the holidays. But if you have a family, then you're probably pretty cool. As long as you like your family. LOL.

I think people have mutilated the holidays. They used to be about love, faith, family, tradition, and more. Now they are about presents and money.

So yes, they are a little depressing.

 

[yogiforlife]

re

(I have a major writing project I need to finish tonight, so of course I am taking "Lit breaks." I know, not the path to productivity.)

Do you find the holidays depressing? Every year I find my mood sinks a little more at this time of year. I want to be festive, I really do. And I'm a nice person. I like getting Christmas cards with pictures of my friends' kids. I like Christmas cookies. I like potato latkes. Even so, I want to hibernate for the next 3 weeks.

Is is the bad childhood memories? The wasteful and pointless consumerism? Or am I missing some kind of holiday gene on my chromosomes?

I didn't set up a poll, but am curious to hear others' views.

I can concur with you. I enjoy the time I get to spend with friends, the activities we do but not so much the time with family and like you said the consumerism of it all, the obligation to buy gifts for people, constant worrying about forgeting about someone or buying the wrong gift, the hectic traffic and crowds while shopping, I can do with out that part.

 

[SensualMan_in_PA]

It's almost over!

 

[Lorali82]

Yeah, it didn't hit me until tonight, but I am kind of depressed right now. The end of the year has a tendency to do this to me.

 

[koalabear]

Best time of the year. I just got back from a 2 A.M. stroll around the neighborhood to look at all the lights and enjoy the peace and quite.

 

[labialovingdick]

they ARE depressing, at least this year's holidays..... seems like i suffer from a curse or something

first broke my favorite guitar (i've got 5, but this one was my love), it's not too serious, but i can't play on it during the next 2 weeks anymore.

then, i told you about the digicam i crashed by spilt lemonade. my parents saved a lot of money to buy a new one as their christmas gift to me. i was like nuts, in a positive way i mean! took the first pictures of our family and then we drank some met. i don't know if this is common anywhere else, but for those who don't know what it is, met is celtic whine made of honey...

suddenly my glass fell down, all the met was spilt over my brandnew digicam....

i'm crying....

 

[ROM]

I love the holdiays - it's just the people that I hate.

...and the fact that Christmas "starts" about two days after Thanksgiving (that's about November 28th or so for you non-Americans ) By the time Christmas comes around, I'm tired of looking at the decorations, seeing the stupid Jared Jewlers commercials, and hearing Christmas music.

I hate shopping for presents, because people seem to lose 20 I.Q. points long about December 5th. Stores full of massive idiots that will be rude in order to get thist year's HOT gift.... That kind of thing really tweaks my inner axe-murderer.

I hate about half of my family (extended family, that is) because they are the same kind of people you find in the stores.... Being forced to play nice at family gatherings also doesn't do good things to my inner axe-murderer.

....but most of all, I hate the way Christmas has lost all of it's class. Decorations seem to get gaudier and more tasteless each year - a couple years back it was the farting santa dolls....now it's those big, inflatable snow-globes everyone has in their front yards.

The fact that it's now Christmas day, and this whole thing still has about a week before it's finally played out is also unsettling.

Maybe it is the rampant consumerism that's driving all my gripes.

If that's the case, then "Tickle Me Elmo" is who I'll blame. Fuck Elmo. Fuck him in his puppet-hole!

 

[stillsexy123]

yes it's damn depressing if u are single...

 

[Ekserb]

Marketing begins around Halloween. They might as well have Santa trick-or-treating!

...and the fact that Christmas "starts" about two days after Thanksgiving (that's about November 28th or so for you non-Americans ) By the time Christmas comes around, I'm tired of looking at the decorations, seeing the stupid Jared Jewlers commercials, and hearing Christmas music.

You're both wrong! This fucking Christmas Season thing starts around Labor Day and runs right through to February with the "After Holiday Sales Events."

I'm an Atheist so it's increasingly difficult for me to force myself to say "Merry Chistmas" to anyone including my family, but I do admit to liking the whole "holiday spirit." If only there were more people who were into it.

From what I can tell, people are actually worse human beings at this time of year. I live right across the street from a major shopping mall and I walk my dogs down the street as the cars are leaving the parking lots. I see from my front row seat the people honking their horns and yelling at each other as they rev their engines and squeal their tires trying to get to the next item on their shopping list. Yeah, great holiday spirit around here.

 

[yogiforlife]

I'm an Atheist so it's increasingly difficult for me to force myself to say "Merry Chistmas" to anyone including my family, but I do admit to liking the whole "holiday spirit." If only there were more people who were into it.

Yet the majority of people who celebrate Christmas do so with no thought to the religious side and the ones who do are oblivious to the fact that God has nothing to do with Christmas, Jesus, according to the story, could not have been born on December 25th, actual historians have it some time in the spring.

 

[monique1971]

It wasn't that depressing this year! That is to say, I thought it was all fairly distasteful, but it could have been so much worse.

And what's more, it's almost over.

Hurray!

 

[SensualMan_in_PA]

It wasn't that depressing this year! That is to say, I thought it was all fairly distasteful, but it could have been so much worse.

And what's more, it's almost over.

Hurray!

It can't be over soon enough for me. The maniacs are still on the road doing their post-Christmas shopping!

 

[rrocks37]

I'm like Scrooge and The Grinch when it comes to the holidays. I think the holidays are the most fun when little kids are around. And there are none of those left in my family (in the area at least).

Bah Humbug, I'm glad it's over.