Are you excited or anxious about the holidays?

[DDNatureLover]

It's September, and the holidays are only a few months away. I know some people get all excited about the holidays, while others get anxious. I tend to be the excited sort, although there are a few issues about the holidays that bring on some anxiety, such as a tight budget and living away from my family. I still enjoy decorating the house, hearing the music, and cooking some of my favorite recipes. Are you looking forward to the holidays with excitement, or do you tend to get more anxious about them?

 

[kgord]

I am definetly not excited. I am not looking forward to the holidays, because I don't like to have to think about buying or making things, when my budget is limited. ALso, it is stressful seeing and not seeing people. Not sure how they are going to be this year, if I can get dollars ahead by then, it will help alot. I just don't like to end up with no cash to spend at the holidays.

 

[Padre]

I'll be candid; I truly loathe the holidays. Even when I was a very active church goer, I couldn't stand them. Part of it is the anxiety caused by social situations. Other than that, the weather is horrid at that time and most of the traditions seem a bit hollow. I do enjoy seeing my wee ones enjoy Christmas though. That is a real delight.

 

[Panic57]

I'm anxious about the holidays. My family is awful and mean the whole time we are together. I'm the black sheep of the family because i chose to be an illustrator and not have a nine to five job in some office. In their eyes, I'm just a lazy person who doesn't want to work and have a 'real' job. Until I make enough money to prove that I'm not some worthless 'artist', holidays are miserable for me and my chest tightens at the thought of going.

 

[fuzyon]

A little bit of both, actually. On one hand I'm really excited for them because everyone is so calm and loving around that time period, whilst I'm anxious because I have a lot of things to prepare for and I know things are going to be hectic.

 

[x0xLikeMex0x]

In the past 3 years I've noticed that I don't like Christmas anymore. Yeah, eating a lot of super tasty food is amazing, but why does it have to happen on a certain date. Why do I need to give and receive presents just on that date? Why do we need a date like that?


Ok, I love all those Christmas lights that are hung up around the house, but why do we need a special occasion for putting those lights up?


As most of you probably understand, I've started to question the whole Christmas thing. I would gladly skip Christmas, if I could or have second Halloween. Like Blink-182 sings "And we'll have our Halloween on Christmas." I would love that. Costume party for everyone.

 

[HappyKoi]

I work holiday retail, and I dread Black Friday. There is absolutely no reason to shop that day, there are no special sales or merchandise that will not be there later, at the same prices, with the same discounts, but people still wait in line and make us come in at ungodly hours. Yet people still go nuts. And let's not get started on the music and the crowds.


I do like the lights and the pretty decorations. I like being able to find so much peppermint-flavored stuff, and I love candy canes. I'm with you on a second Halloween- I once worked retail at a costume shop near a college campus for September/ October and I liked the Halloween rush better than I liked the Christmas rush at other stores. I like the idea of giving out candy to kids and teens better than I like trying to buy presents for people (and worrying that I didn't buy the right ones). Plus if there's any extra candy, or if you have a kid, you get some for yourself. Halloween movies are also way better than Christmas movies.

 

[oliveblue]

I used to love the holidays as a kid, and I still do like the music and lights and holiday spirit in the air, but I also have anxiety about seeing extended family around this time. My relatives are all successful and happy, and I'm just the unemployed loser with all my issues. I also don't particularly like how commercial the entire holiday is, especially with my limited income. It makes me a little sad, because I used to love it all, but part of me now would be just fine with skipping it entirely.

 

[amy88]

Anxious tends to be my default response in any situation where it involves seeing a bunch of people all at once, particularly relatives that you only end up seeing once a year. I find it awkward and stuffy and to be honest by the end of the day I am ready to high-tail it back home. There are elements of the holidays I do enjoy, like seeing my child really enjoy it - but for me, no - I don't really look forward to it with any feelings of excitement at all.

 

[clair02]

I'm totally excited about the holidays. It's my favorite time of the year. I don't care what anybody else says, that is the time when I feel the least stress. Even with family coming over, meals to prepare, presents to make and buy, it always turns out to be the best time I've had the whole year. I always look forward to the holidays.

 

[DDNatureLover]

I can understand the pressures of seeing family that isn't fully supportive. I used to travel to see mine every Christmas, and it was nice to see them, but over the years, travel became more and more difficult, cost-wise, logistically, and also because I had other obligations here. I have let go of a lot of my previous expectations about having the perfect holiday and finding the perfect gift for everyone. I now understand these really is no 'perfect' anything, and I often enjoy my nature walks on the holidays out in solitude more than most of the times spent with those who are less than supportive the rest of the year.

 

[John Snort]

The holidays often make me anxious. It's that time of the year when relatives I don't like that much visit me and for a week or at times a little longer, I have to make small talk (which I hate). I would opt to travel around Christmas time but it so damn expensive that I can't even give it a thought. So I do happen to be one of the few people who aren't excited that the holiday season is almost here.

 

[djanx]

Yes I am very excited about the holidays. At the same time I am nervous too. Mostly because there is still a lot of planning to do, but also because I hate crowded places. And some of my most favorite places gets a lot more footfall during the holidays. But, generally, its still a positive feeling.

 

[hades_leae]

I used to be in the spirit, but now I see the holidays as just days of the year, and nothing more. I believe that if you really want to be in the spirit, you should have a family to celebrate them with. I can't celebrate Christmas, the only thing I'll do is go to a bar and watch other people celebrate on TV all happy like losers.


I love the holidays, but when they come around, I just get reminded how it's different when you have someone, or a family of your own to celebrate them with, it's not fun alone.

 

[DDNatureLover]

I agree in most cases being alone isn't ideal at the holidays hades_leae, but I much prefer being alone to being with the wrong person. My solitary holidays are peaceful, for the most part, and aren't marred by bickering or the stress of having to see people I don't like, or having my schedule disrupted by people who have no regard for anyone but themselves. I spent many years conforming to the schedules of people like that, and subjecting myself to their whims, and nowadays, I relish my solitude and peace.

 

[sorrowscall]

I'm more anxious than anything for the upcoming holidays. I'm hoping to have an apartment and all the trimmings that entails before Halloween is around. Holidays are already budgeted enough for me, I'm not looking forward to how budgeted they'll be now.

 

[DDNatureLover]

I spent some time over at the neighbors' house earlier, and they had been going through Fall/Christmas decorations. I don't have a Fall wreath, but suddenly I feel the need to get one and hang it. I do have some other Fall decorations, and I think I might pull a few of them out and put up some of the window clings I'd forgotten about. I won't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but it'll be nice to see some Autumn decorations. 

 

[djanx]

Decorations so early? Your neighbors really over the top then  I mean there is still time for that isn't there? Maybe he didn't take down the lights from last year or something.

 

[clair02]

I am so excited, I've already started making my holiday decorations and presents. I always enjoy making my own rather than buying them. It's been a sort of family tradition of ours ever since I was little. I know my daughter loves making the decorations with me. This year we're even making our own cakes (I just took up baking as a hobby) and it's going to be the best year ever. We even put on some holiday music while we work to get us more into the holiday season mood. 

 

[oportosanto]

Actually the holidays are something I don't prepare much to. My kids are getting bigger and even if they love to receive gifts (like any other kid haha), they just prefer to hang around with they cousins and friends. So it's more an opportunity to get the whole family together than some special celebration that requires major preparation.