It’s The Most Wasteful Time Of The Year!
It’s beginning to look a lot like–– greed, gluttony, and materialism–– everywhere you go! Bet you can’t wait to get your dysfunctional family around the dinner table and watch the kids cry because Santa didn’t bring them that pollutant toy they wanted. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for some, but for many, the Christmas season comes with a lot of toxic negativity.
1. Consumer Culture
“Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.”––No matter how often we watch The Grinch, the main focus at Christmas still seems to be about buying stuff. We forget that Christmas should be about family and friends, spreading love and kindness, and not all about presents and new decorations.
2. Commercialism
We’re bombarded with Christmas commercials and advertisements before Halloween is over. “Black Friday” sales launch the shopping mayhem that is the start of Christmas shopping. Those TV ads pull at your heartstrings and persuade you to buy what they sell even though you don’t need it. Christmas fuels commercialism and consumerism.
3. Christmas Jingles On Repeat
No matter how much you love Christmas, there are only so many times you can listen to Mariah sing “All I want for Christmas is you” before you start to feel insane. Whether you’re in your car, at the grocery store, or out for dinner, you can’t escape the cheesy songs on repeat no matter where you go.
4. Lonely People Feel Lonelier
Christmas is perfect for big happy families, which frankly, doesn't cover the majority. If you’re single or don’t have family nearby, the holidays can be a very hard time of year. The Christmas mentality is to spend time with loved ones so if you’re lonely, you'll only feel lonelier.
5. Garbage & Waste
‘Tis the season to be wasteful! With consumerism, gifts, and party food comes a lot of garbage and waste. People buy things people don’t need. Millions of plastic toys and poorly made products use a ton of energy to create to only be thrown out shortly after opening. We buy all kinds of gift wrapping that gets immediately thrown out and leftover food gets scraped into the trash can.
6. Tacky Wasteful Decorations
Christmas is a free pass for people to haul out their tackiest decor. Here comes the giant blow-up snowmen that take over the front lawn and use up the electricity. We buy cheap decorations made from materials that harm the environment and we have to look at people’s poor display choices.
7. Too Much Money
We spend way too much of our hard-earned money at Christmas. We buy too many gifts, we go out for lots of dinners, and groceries for the family gatherings are expensive. More money than necessary is spent on decorating houses, businesses, and streets instead of on things that matter.
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8. Awkward Family Get-togethers
Many people don’t have that picture-perfect family that can sit around a table without any arguments or tension. Grandpa will start telling those inappropriate jokes again and your aunt will get too drunk and cry. You’ve never got along with your judgmental in-laws but it’s Christmas so you fake it until you make it.
OurWhiskyFoundation on Pixabay
9. The Christmas Blues
If you’ve ever had something bad happen to you around Christmas, every year you’re reminded of that incident. It’s a holiday that emphasizes family and joy, so if it’s the first holiday without a loved one, it’s hard to spread the Christmas cheer. Anything negative leading up to December 25th has a heavier impact on mental health than any other time.
10. Gift Stress
That person bought you a gift last year so you feel obligated to get them one this year. You don’t know how much to spend on a gift for someone because you don’t want to look cheap but you also don’t want to go into debt. What do they want for Christmas? You have no idea what to buy your niece who has everything. There’s so much overthinking and over-gifting we do at Christmas that creates unnecessary stress and anxiety.
11. Not Everyone Gets Christmas Off
Some people tend to forget that just because they have time off from their jobs, doesn’t mean everybody else does too. We also take industries like hospitality, retail, delivery drivers, and medical services for granted and rely on those people to take care of us while we enjoy our time off. Some people have to spend their Christmas day at work.
12. Struggle For Poor Families
Christmas can be a major struggle for families with financial stress. If parents can’t afford presents for their children, how can they explain that Santa isn’t coming this year? Many families can barely afford groceries regularly so they won’t be hosting a big turkey feast at Christmas.
13. Kids’ Gift Hierarchy
After Christmas, when the kids go back to school or visit their friends, there’s bound to talk about what Santa put under their trees. While some kids show off their new toys and clothes, others who received less will feel sad or confused as to why they didn’t get the same treatment. Santa is one guy with millions of different budgets.
Kelvin Kay, en:user:kkmd on Wikimedia
14. Drinking Drama
Drinking culture is at its peak during the holiday season. People throw parties, work events, and have more time off than usual. Celebrations are an excuse to pop open bottles of booze and drink excessively with loved ones. Hate to be a party pooper but more drinking leads to more alcohol-influenced problems like accidents, fighting, and health concerns.
15. Gluttony
Those of us who can afford it turn into gluttons over the holidays. We buy way too much food, bake way too many cookies, and eat out at restaurants more than usual. Our only complaint about Christmas dinner is that we’re in pain from eating too much. We unzip our pants cause they’re too tight and we pass out on the couch from the outrageous amount of turkey and wine.
16. Travel Chaos
In December, people at airports and train stations are packed like a tin of sardines. Everyone is traveling to visit their families and friends over the holidays or they’re escaping to flop on a beach at a tropical resort. In many locations, the weather begins to turn, roads become icy, snow causes white-outs, driving becomes dangerous, and public transit is delayed or canceled. Traveling this time of year is a chaotic mess.
17. Spoiled Rotten Kids
It’s fun to watch the excitement of kids this time of year but it can also bring out the worst of them. Kids’ expectations revolve around what Santa is going to put under their tree and they only think about what they want for Christmas. It’s hard for parents not to over-shop for their children because they’re so dang cute but this creates spoiled rotten kids.
18. Body Image & Health
The holidays can be a challenge for people with health or body image issues. It’s a time of year for indulgence and stuffing our faces and people tend to forget that shortbread isn’t a meal. The stress of gaining weight becomes heavy on many people’s minds which is a toll on mental health.
19. Tree Killing
The good old Christmas tree argument splits the room. Are you team real or team artificial? Both options harm the environment but which type of Christmas tree is better? Either way, if you put a tree up in your house you’re killing trees.
20. Everywhere Is Overcrowded
From shopping malls to movie theaters, everywhere you go in public is overcrowded. You need to make reservations for restaurants way in advance if you want to eat at a table. People are buzzing around all over the place in preparation for Christmas.
