The worst holiday traditions can ruin a time that is supposed to bring joy and celebration. Holidays are meant to bring people together, but some traditions may cause more stress and frustration rather than enjoyment. The anxiety caused by having to adhere to certain customs can overshadow the spirit of the holiday. By recognizing which traditions cause more harm than good, you can let go of the dreaded customs and focus on creating more enjoyable experiences.
10 Most Dreaded Traditions of the Holiday Season
1. Overeating and Unhealthy Eating
There are certain holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, that food is a big part of celebrating, and overindulging becomes a tradition many people enjoy at the time and regret later. The holiday season brings several decadent dishes and desserts, many of which are packed with tons of calories and unhealthy ingredients that you avoid the rest of the year. People also tend to eat more food during the holidays, taking a second or third portion they wouldn’t normally take, eating themselves sick.
Although you may tell yourself it’s just for the holidays, this type of eating, even for just a couple of weeks a year, is enough to derail any diet. Plus, your bodily systems will be thrown out of whack with the sudden change—something which is entirely avoidable by sticking to your regular diet, even during the festive season.
2. Excessive Spending and Consumerism
Overspending during the holidays can lead to financial problems and materialism that overshadows the true meaning of gift-giving. The word holiday is often synonymous with gift-giving. While it can be fun to give gifts to family members and friends, many individuals give beyond their financial means.
As a result, they start the new year in debt—something which may take them months to climb out of. The stress of being in debt can lead to serious mental health issues, which can last much longer than just the holiday season. If that weren’t enough, most people end up never using the gifts they are given, leading to a very expensive pile of waste when all of this could have just been avoided.
3. Environmental Neglect
During the holidays, so much waste from gift wrapping, single-use items, and disposable decorations contributes to pollution and environmental neglect. It doesn’t matter if you care for the environment and recycle all year long, as one holiday season can undo all the steps you’ve taken in just a few weeks.
Many people are given gifts made from non-recyclable materials that they will later throw away. These gifts are often wrapped in wrapping paper, which gets torn off the present and thrown directly in the trash. Additionally, large family gatherings lead to the use of paper plates, cups, and plastic utensils, all of which are disposed of shortly after being used.
4. Forced Family Gatherings
The holidays can be hard on mental health, especially because family gatherings have become commonplace. While it is nice to spend some time with family, not all family members will leave these events with positive emotions.
The reality is that not all family members get along, and these forced family gatherings can create uncomfortable and stressful situations. Tensions can rise, and arguments are often brewing right below the surface. The holidays are already stressful physically and financially, and the added emotional strain can lead to serious conditions like anxiety and depression.
5. Fireworks and Noise Pollution
Fireworks can be beautiful and a fun way to ring in the new year, but they also cause noise pollution that can disturb wildlife and scare pets and young children while also disrupting the peace of neighborhoods. These loud noises create unnecessary stress, especially for the parents and owners who only have their child or fur baby’s best interest in mind. In addition, fireworks leave behind waste, damage nature, and often lead to serious incidents, like forest fires, which can cause millions of dollars in damages and cost people their homes.
6. Always Expecting Holiday Cheer
Expecting everyone to always be cheerful during the holidays and disregard their personal struggles puts a lot of unneeded pressure on people to feel happy and festive. While the holidays are a cheerful time for many people, the reality is, life isn’t all smiles and roses. Life is like a rollercoaster, with ups and downs throughout the year, especially during the holiday season.
The winter can be a difficult time for those with seasonal depression, and dealing with their emotions can be even harder during the holidays when they feel pressured to appear happy in public, when they aren’t. Sometimes, this depression can become serious, to the point where the individual is suicidal but too afraid to speak up and bring others down during the season.
7. Focusing on Perfection
Along with expecting happiness during the holiday season, many people set the unrealistic expectation for their holiday experience to be perfect. They want to attend the best events and receive their ideal gift.
Unfortunately, perfection is never possible, and those who focus on perfection will find themselves stressed out and disappointed, rather than enjoying the holiday. What’s worse is that this stress can morph into anxiety or depression, which they can struggle to ask for help with during the holidays.
8. Ignoring Inclusivity
Around the holidays, everyone talks about how inclusive they or their family is. But sadly, this is far from the truth as some individuals may not celebrate in the same way as others.
The holidays are actually a time of alienation and division, especially based on religion or finances. Some families can afford gifts, while others can’t, and it’s rare that they interact.
Many friend groups are divided into those who can afford to go to an event and those who can’t. Additionally, holiday parties are usually religion-specific, excluding those who celebrate a different holiday.
9. Hosting or Attending Overly Crowded Events
Large events are fun and common during the holiday season, but they can also be stressful, discomforting, and very dangerous. Not only are holidays celebrated during the height of cold and flu season, which can spread to susceptible populations, but crowds can also act in ways that can’t be predicted.
The issue of the unpredictability of crowds is especially dangerous in countries or cities where crime is high, as just one person with malicious intent can ruin the event for everyone. Plus, if this person acts maliciously, even if they only hurt a couple of people, many more could potentially be injured as they attempt to flee the event.
10. Competitive Gift Giving
Giving gifts is fun, but competitive gift-giving has become a frequent problem of holiday traditions in recent years. No longer is it good enough to just give a gift, but you have to give a better gift than your significant other gives you
Competitive gift-giving shifts the focus of the holidays from thoughtful gestures and gratitude to a more materialistic perspective that can negatively impact mental health and lead to financial distress. Remember to be gracious in your gift-giving and do so without worrying about the gift you will receive in return.