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Where do I start? Let’s be honest, holidays are the 2nd best reason to legitimately be off of work right? The first is VACATION! However you feel, you either love or hate the holidays. Let’s look at the reasons for both:
Happiness is:
- Off from work
- Spending time with family – sometimes it’s the only time of the year you actually see them
- Relaxation – if you are not the one who is responsible for having the get-together
- Giving….gifts, love, etc.
- Holiday gatherings…because they are fun
- Decorations – some love to dress up their trees with ornaments, house with lights, etc.
- SNOW! So pretty if you have snow for the holiday season
Hellish is:Â Â 
- If you have to work
- Spending time with family – some people just can’t stand being around them
- No relaxation – because you are the one with all of the guests
- Buying gifts for others – sometimes this is a stressful task and time consuming as well
- All of the holiday parties…too many for some
- Missing a loved one who has moved on
- SNOW! Some really dislike the cold weather
I used to love the holiday season but as I get older, it just doesn’t feel the same anymore and haven’t quite figured out why? I used to decorate for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving. The past couple of years, I haven’t done so – just haven’t ‘felt’ like it. What I have done, although getting it done later and later into December, is bake cookies!
So – how do you view the holidays? Are they a happy time or a hellish time?
Let me know by commenting below!!!!
*Judean*
40 Comments
I love taking off the last week of the year! Time to relax and recharge for the New Year!
I’m working all of Christmas week so I plan on baking up a store and making something special for dinner at work. I’m grinch when it comes to shopping but not festivities and food. Hoping it won’t be to hellish 😉
Festivities, food and beverages is where it’s at! Thanks Monica!
A mix of both for me. Love the holidays, but sometimes have to work too much during them.
I dont work as much as I need too, which makes my holidays both hellish and happy. I totally understand Dennis!
I LOVE the holidays!!! Christmas is my favorite time of year – whether talking about the hustle and bustle, the crazy family gatherings or the entire spirit of it all.
I like this post because you are reminding people that their feelings are valid no matter what. There may be times or years where you are more or less happy during the holidays, and that’s ok. Many years it is a combination of the two!
for sure!
Christmas brings me joy. I love remembering what this season is about, the Birth of Jesus. The sharing and caring for others is shown more in November and December than most other times of the year. My Christmas would be complete if I could spend it with all my family, but that is not always possible when you are a military family,
So many mixed feeling about the holidays! Thank you for posting this. It helps me think ahead and prepare for all to come! 💚
It’s both! I have kids so seeing them happy makes me happy, but the stress kinda makes it hell too!
It’s typically pretty happy for us. It’s more fun now that my daughter is starting to understand Christmas!
Mine is a combination of happiness and hellish. I don’t have the stress of work as I am retired, but I just cant get into the decorating as it is just me at home. This year family will come here for the holidays, so I have to decorate… so hellish in this aspect 🙂
The holidays were tough when I worked in the corporate world since I do not celebrate many holidays others do. People are naturally uncomfortable with it because I am different. It didn’t offend me in any way and I loved seeing the joy on peoples faces when they were happy about the holiday they were celebrating.
I love the holidays! The lights, the music…mostly people seem more pleasant.
I see many people who enjoy it and many who do not. I feel blessed that I get to keep Hanukkah. I still hope everyone enjoys their time. I know it can bring good and negative memories for folks.
I love all the happy stuff of Christmas and I try to make the best of the other stuff, but sometimes it unavoidable.
I love the holidays! I love the prep and then the relaxing the week between Christmas and New Year’s and just enjoying all the time with people I care about.
I love the holidays, especially the baking aspect! Although I miss the snow and the hustle and bustle of living in the city, Florida still offers a wonderful holiday season. Everyone seems just a little bit happier and things feel a tad brighter! We work a lot and don’t see family often or even buy gifts, but are Blessed to be together even after the season ends. 🙂
This is great…I have a place there but never stayed for Christmas.
Funny, well maybe coincidence…. I’m currently writing about the same thing for our blog. I’ve always LOVED Christmas, it’s my favorite holiday…. this year, I’ve had a little bit of the blues, but I’m starting to SNAP out of it as I write about it. Therapy I guess! Truly for me it’s remembering the true reason for the season – not all the commercial and consumerism we’ve made it over the years. Celebrating the birth of Christ. I agree, all the love, goodness, caring and sharing should happen all year long!
Our holidays are always happy! We enjoy our special time with our family. It’s even more special with my kids now.
Holidays are magical for me because of the kids. It’s hard not to be excited and giddy when they are oozing with anticipation and joy!
Great post!
Holidays are usually hell for me because my expectations are so high and nothing can ever meet those expectations. Plus, family issues and financial pressure. But this year, I have decided that the holidays will be heaven. I recently posted a blog about how to keep your peace amidst the holiday chaos. I used to give in to the feelings of negativity, but I have done a lot of work inside over the past couple years and finally realized my own power over my thoughts and emotions. So, this holiday season I’ve been CHOOSING happiness. Have a great holiday!
Awesome! I love hearing this – we all have a choice…but sometimes life keeps knocking us down and it is difficult to get up!
I love Christmas. The music, the lights, the giving…everything! Although it can definitely get stressful trying to figure out where to go when.
Agreed – so when is it OK to play Christmas music?
I’m writing a post on this right now! For me it’s a mix of happiness and bittersweet memories and grief. My little brother killed himself 2.5 years ago, and this will be our 3rd Christmas without him. This was always a time my brother and I bonded, so it’s chock full of memories with him. I think people should exercise care for others, because you never know what’s under the holiday happiness they may show!
Pulls on my heartstrings…I hope time makes it easier – the focus is on happy memories…and making new happy memories.
For me Christmas is happiest when I decide not to partake in any of it… bliss 🙂
I can very much understand!
They can be a little of both! Both of our kids are adults so not living at home. All of our kids and rest of family are out of state so sometimes we travel to them. But if there seems to be a bunch of drama going on we elect to stay home. I don’t decorate like I used to because most times we are not around – but I always put up a tree. At this point in our lives we are just waiting for the grandbabies!!
We don’t have kids and we the family over for Christmas Eve every year. A couple of years ago I was going through so much, the tree wasn’t decorated until Christmas Eve! I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be great to have the nephews over (they were 5 and 8 yrs old that year) early to decorate?’ It worked out so nicely. This year, we bought a new tree and there are no decorations yet-not sure I will even put any up because change is happening for me and quite honestly, I like it the way it is. So I totally get not decorating like we used too – I have been going through it for the past 3 years!
Happy time! Well, except for the two years that I was pregnant and SICK AS HELL haha. Those years weren’t so fun. But generally we are able to make the best of our circumstances and focus on service, family and joy 🙂
Love it – service, family and joy! Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE the holidays! This is my first year working in a school district during the holidays and I get the whole winter break off 🙂 I feel like a kid again!
That is awesome Brittany! Enjoy it!
The holidays always bring me joy! I love the way people seem to be more positive and grateful in their lives! Sharing and caring is at an all time high this time of year…wish we could bottle it for all year long!
Thanks Holly! I agree that we should be positive and grateful all year long–why should it be for only this time of year?