Ah, the festive season! That magical time of year when twinkling lights adorn every available surface, Mariah Carey makes her annual comeback, and people everywhere pretend they’re not on the verge of a nervous breakdown. If you’re feeling more bah humbug than fa-la-la-la-la, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about why the holidays can be as stressful as trying to assemble flat-pack furniture with no instructions and one screw missing!
Financial Stress: Ho-Ho-Hope Your Wallet Survives
Christmas might as well come with a prelude of “$$$” jingling in the background. The pressure to buy thoughtful gifts, lavish food, and enough wrapping paper to deforest half of Scandinavia is enough to send anyone into a financial spiral.
Take my mate Linda, for instance. Last year, she decided to go all out with a “12 Days of Christmas” gift theme for her boyfriend. By day five (“five gold rings”), her bank account was sobbing louder than a toddler denied a piece of chocolate. She ended up substituting “gold rings” with onion rings from the chippy. Romantic? Questionable. Hilarious? Absolutely.
Family Dynamics: Pass the Pigs in Blankets, Not the Drama
Families: can’t live with them, can’t pretend you’re out of town during Christmas. The holidays are like a family group chat in real life—messy, loud, and full of unsolicited opinions.
Aunt Margaret’s on her fourth sherry, insisting Brexit was a great idea. Uncle Bob’s somehow managed to turn Secret Santa into a competitive sport. Meanwhile, you’re desperately trying to avoid eye contact with your cousin who keeps asking why you’re still single, as though your love life is their Christmas pudding to poke at. 
Top tip: Have a “neutral” topic ready to deflect. May I suggest, “Which Quality Street is the best?” It’s divisive enough to distract everyone without causing a full-on turkey-throwing incident.
Mental Health: When the Ho-Ho-Holiday Blues Hit
The shorter days and darker nights can turn even the jolliest elf into a grinch. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is absolutely real, and it’s not helped by the festive bombardment of cheer everywhere you look.
Then there’s the overwhelming to-do list. Carol singing on Tuesday, work party Wednesday, Christmas ugly jumper pub crawl Thursday… Is anyone actually enjoying this, or are we all just ticking off boxes to avoid looking like a Scrooge on Instagram?
Pro tip: Say no. No to the third mulled wine. No to the 12th invite to “just pop by for a mince pie” (who pops by? Are we in a Jane Austen novel?). Sometimes the best holiday gift you can give yourself is a nap and a delicious biscuit (mine are Ginger & Chilies from Fortnum & Mason).
Social Media: The Silent Festive Killer
Social media during the holidays is a minefield. There’s Sarah from school posting her “perfect” Christmas tree, which looks like it belongs in a Harrods commercial. Meanwhile, your tree looks like it’s been decorated by a group of overexcited ferrets.
Then there’s the barrage of happy families, matching pyjamas, and gourmet meals. Look, Sharon, not all of us have the time to hand-stuff a turkey while crafting homemade crackers. Some of us are just trying to remember where we hid last year’s baubles.
My advice? Post your own ridiculous moments. Show the world your burnt gingerbread men or your cat climbing the tree for the third time. Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like authenticity and a slightly wonky wreath. As I'm packing to vacate my rental at the end of Jan, there are just boxes and packing materials everywhere, so honestly, there is no tree, but a few Christmas cards, there would be more but with Canada Post being on strike, I won't get them till after I leave the house - lol. If you've mailed something, don't worry, I'll get it eventually to my forwarded address (don't know right now)
Relationship Struggles: Mistletoe and Mishaps
Holidays can magnify relationship woes like a sparkly pressure cooker. There’s always one couple arguing over whose parents to visit. (Spoiler: neither of you wants to spend Christmas in a drafty spare room with a deflating air mattress.)
And if you’re single? Oh, the joy of well-meaning relatives asking if you’ve tried dating apps, as if swiping right is the magic solution to eternal happiness. Here’s a pro response: “No, Aunt Linda, I’m holding out for Mr Darcy to arrive on a reindeer.”
Overindulgence: The Calories Don’t Count, Right?
The festive season is basically one long excuse to eat everything in sight. Cheese boards the size of Lake Ontario? Yes, please. Chocolate advent calendars? Don’t mind if I do. But by Boxing Day, you’re googling “Is it possible to turn into a Yule log?”
Then there’s the drink. One mulled wine turns into five, and suddenly you’re karaoke-ing “Fairytale of New York” to an unimpressed crowd at the local pub or bar! The next day, your head feels like it’s been hit by a festive freight train, and you’re questioning all your life choices.
Moderation is key. Or, you know, just embrace the chaos and blame it on Santa.
Reflection: New Year, New You?
Ah, the annual ritual of setting unrealistic resolutions. Lose weight! Save money! Learn Mandarin while training for a marathon! By mid-January, you’re back to eating Hobnobs in your pyjamas, wondering where it all went wrong. I don’t set any New Year resoltions as it’s the perfect recipe for disaster. I even wrote a whole blog about it last year and another one coming up in a week!
Here’s the thing: You don’t have to reinvent yourself just because a calendar flips. Celebrate your wins from the year—even if your biggest achievement was finally untangling the fairy lights without swearing (too much). The New Year doesn’t need a “new you”; the current you is doing just fine. Read my blog about being a Survivor!
Travel Chaos: Planes, Trains, and Tantrums
If you’re travelling for the holidays, may the odds be ever in your favour. Airports are full of irritable passengers, train delays are as reliable as crackers containing bad jokes, and the highways resemble a never-ending auto service of angry honking.
Last Christmas, my friend Spence spent six hours on a train that was delayed due to “leaves on the track”. When he finally arrived, he looked less like the spirit of Christmas and more like someone who’d just done 12 rounds with a Boxing Day sale crowd.
Pro tip: Travel early, bring snacks, and download a good podcast. Or just stay home and blame the weather. “Oh no, Gran, we can’t make it. There’s a light dusting of snow…” You know everything comes to a standstill in London if it snows – trust me, been there, done it and have a medal!
The Bottom Line: Embrace the Imperfection
Here’s the thing about the holidays: They’re rarely perfect, and that’s okay. Your tree might be wonky, your turkey might be dry, and your family might argue about who cheated at Monopoly. But those imperfect moments? That’s where the magic happens.
So, ditch the pressure to have a flawless festive season. Laugh at the chaos, take time for yourself, and remember—it’s about connection, not perfection. Now, where’s that mulled wine?
Cheers, my friends, and happy holidays!
