Problems with Christmas are numerous but venting about them can help. After all, it's a happy holiday but it can be frustrating -- that's just natural. I mean, here we are, heading into the festive season again. I'm a bit of a Grinch, though, and find there are too many problems with Christmas to be able to enjoy it. Some people find this hard to understand, because they love the holidays. So here are the problems with Christmas that drive me up the wall …
We can blame the shops for one of the bigest problems about Christmas. Every year, they start to fill the shelves with Christmas items earlier and earlier. Soon the stores will be promoting Christmas for the following year. How can you see it as special when it's in your face for months beforehand – even in the summer?
A major problem with Christmas is the cost, especially if you have been persuaded to host the family. Too many people spend beyond their budget. When you add the total spent on gifts, food, drink, travel, new outfits, parties … it's ridiculous for just one day (and unaffordable in the present climate).
Organising Christmas can be a logistical nightmare. Your sister tells you she has to find out what her in-laws are doing before she can accept your invitation, both sets of parents think you should go to them on Christmas Day … it becomes very complicated, not to mention stressful. And that's just working out where you'll be, and with whom – never mind the cooking or shopping!
There are some problems with Christmas you just can't control. Unfortunately, as many of us know, just because you are related to someone doesn't mean that you get on with them. It's not unusual to find yourself spending Christmas with family or relatives that you don't actually like. This does not make for an enjoyable day and can be enough to put you off Christmas for life.
Given that Christmas can be a particularly stressful time, tensions can arise even among the closest of families. It's also a time when old grudges can surface. Spending the day, or worse, several days in the family equivalent of a warzone is one of the worst problems with Christmas.
If you're wondering why I became such a Grinch (or even if you're not), one of the major reasons is the commercialisation of Christmas. For me, that's one of the biggest and most disappointing problems with Christmas. It's so hard to see it as something special when the shops are pushing you to spend months ahead of December 25th, and when so many people judge it by the amount or value of gifts they buy or receive.
Christmas has become increasingly commercialized over the years, with stores pushing shoppers to buy gifts and decorations months before the holiday. This commercialization has led to a focus on spending and gift-giving, rather than on the true meaning of Christmas. As a result, Christmas has become a stressful holiday for many, as people worry about buying the perfect presents for their loved ones. Additionally, the cost of gifts, decorations, and food can be a financial strain for many families. The commercialization of Christmas has also led to a focus on materialism, which can be a disappointment for those who want to focus on the more meaningful aspects of the holiday.
Travel is, of course, more expensive at peak times, so that if you have to fly to visit family it can cost you a lot of money. If you drive instead, you face spending more time sitting in traffic jams than with the family (which is probably a good thing if you don't get on). And if you start your journey early, you find everyone else has had the same idea …
One problem with Christmas that many of us have is trying to achieve the impossible: keeping everyone happy. Parents have their own ideas about what you should do, even though you're an adult with your own family. People have their own rigid ideas about how the day should be spent, when to eat, open the gifts – and the whole thing becomes a nightmare.
Hopefully, in spite of all the problems with Christmas that can arise, you'll all have a great time, celebrating it however you like! I'm sure I'd enjoy it more, if it were not for the above troubles with Christmas. Still, as mentioned, there are some things you just can't control. Again, though, sometimes just venting about them can make them seem less frustrating. So tell us about the problems with Christmas you've experienced – have there been any truly terrible disasters or memorable moments?
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