Quote:
Originally Posted by nonightowl
I hate all holidays now, with the exception of Halloween and St. Patrick's Day, even if those aren't official holidays with stuff being closed or closing early! I like the spooky stuff associated with Halloween, including the music like "Monster Mash" and I like Irish music and the color green.
I no longer have any family and no friends, so nobody to "celebrate" with. As I've gotten older I've been fed up with the overly commercialized hype and forced family/friend gatherings. The endless holiday music playing, the TV commercials with smiling families, etc. And the gift giving got to be an obligation after awhile. I sure don't miss those office "parties", where you had to pretend you were having fun around people you can't stand all day and have to see/work with.
Anyway, it seem that at least in the US, they are days of forced cheerfulness, commercialization, and NOISE. It's like July 4th and New Year's Eve are excuses to make a lot of noise, get drunk, etc. I find the fireworks unbearable and it seems nobody thinks about people that might need to sleep since they don't have New Year's off? They fire guns into the air too, even with all the gun violence. Do they think the bullet just keeps going up and up, into oblivion? NO, it comes down at some point. And will hurt someone.
It's like an excuse for people to be idiots now. And the holidays are a 2 month stretch at the end of the year, when the days are short/dark and tax season is just around the corner.
Each year I see the same footage of people lining up at the airport to "see family and friends." Not everyone is doing that!
And that's another thing: Holidays are not automatic days off anymore. Many businesses force people to work 24/7, holidays too.
Plus there's COVID. We are still losing people, but the media doesn't mention it anymore. Because it's supposed to be "over" and "it's the holidays" it's time to be cheerful!! There's a lot of grieving people out there too yet we are expected to put on a smiley face...no matter what. The holidays are excruciating for people who are alone. Everyone expects you to have plans, to have family, etc.
American culture has got to be among the most insensitive and clueless culture on earth.
 
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I absolutely agree with everything you said, I really dislike the forced family and even coworker interactions and the obligated gift exchanges. The holidays are full of obligations people really don’t want to do and it shows too, I’ve heard people outright admit they don’t want to see certain people or exchange gifts but they feel like they have to.
Also the cheerfulness is definitely forced as well, I can understand putting on a facade for the kids but it is energy draining and I’ve actually noticed that people seem happier and more relieved when the holidays are over. I also don’t like decorating since it’s such a waste of money and I've seen full blown arguments take place over decorations especially if things don’t work and it’s incredibly stupid, also I’ve seen people get offended if they don’t get what they want or don’t get anything at all and it causes unnecessary tension and drama.