For most, Christmas is a time filled with excitement and joy.
But for others, it signals the beginning of months in debt, avoiding the shops at all costs and having to spend time with your uncle who voted Brexit.
Here, 13 people open up about what they hate most about the festive period...
1. Spending Too Much Money
“Having to spend a substantial amount of money on family members. I have to buy gifts for my grandparents, my parents (including step parents), my siblings, my wife’s parents and her siblings, the dogs... and one cousin, because we do secret santa amongst the cousins. And usually I end up going out at some point for drinks with my friends, so we each buy a round. I love Christmas, but man does it get expensive!”
2. Exams And Revision
“In the UK we have our exams in January so that your Christmas holiday can be used to study. I didn’t have an enjoyable break until I finished university.”
3. Relationship Status Scrutiny
“Having everyone point out that I’m still single at family gatherings as if I’m unaware.”
4. Not Knowing What To Buy
“I don’t really want items anymore, so I don’t expect anything on Christmas, but I am expected to give gifts, but I usually just don’t know what to get. I’d hate to be the guy that just gives socks.”
5. Christmas Car Adverts
“The fucking nonstop ads for ‘sales events’ at car dealers. The season of douchebags Audi event. Happy Honda Days. The December to Remember entitled shitbag Lexus Sales event.”
6. The Bleakness That Follows
“The compression of the holidays. You get all the good ones crammed together so that you have to roll from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas and then you get the long, dreariness of true winter. Christmas is too early and there is rarely enough snow by December. Move it to February when it is bitter, miserably cold and no one likes life.”
7. It Brings Out The Worst In People
“I hate the way people act when shopping for Christmas. It’s almost like Black Friday every weekend at the big stores/malls. Impossible to find parking, people drive like assholes, people stopping or walking slow in front of you in the aisles, long lines, no one has patience (including me). I refuse to shop on weekends during this time of the year.”
8. Cheap Gifts
“I’d rather not get anything. Really. Save your money, I don’t need another flashlight. It’s hard to express this in my family and not hurt someone’s feelings.”
- bdd82
9. Having To Work
“I work retail.”
10. Christmas Music
“Christmas music everywhere. I don’t know how people in retail stand it for hours on end.”
11. There’s No Spirit Anymore
“The commercialisation of it. Even as an atheist, I think the Christ part has been taken out of it. It’s fine and all that it’s evolved into a celebration that it is today, but, and maybe it’s just my experience, but there hasn’t been any real spirit in it anymore. It’s just overpriced gifts that most people won’t use and people getting drunk.”
12. Glitter
“Decorations, wrapping paper, cards - they all have fucking glitter on them. That shit gets everywhere and is impossible to get rid of.”
- Danulas
13. Seeing Happy Couples. Everywhere.
“It seems like people in relationships tend to go out and do things as a couple more often during the holidays, so I would say what I dislike about Christmas time is seeing all the happy couples. I’m not bitter and alone, I swear.”