Its Okay Not to Have a Happy Holidays

Every year, the back-to-back holidays in November and December put unnecessary pressure on people to have the perfect holiday season. No one wants to be ungrateful at Thanksgiving or a Grinch at Christmas, but often life gets in the way of celebrating holidays.

The emphasis placed on having happy holidays can make people feel as though there is something wrong with not celebrating or enjoying the holidays. Obligatory social gatherings exacerbate this issue by forcing people to fake the happiness and cheer that is socially required of them during the holiday season.

Despite the pressure holiday season puts on people to have the perfect celebrations, there is nothing wrong with not having happy holidays. Life is often complicated, with many ups and downs, and this does not change just because it is November or December. Also, the holiday season often comes with baggage that can make it hard to enjoy celebrating, such as family dysfunction or loss.

It is okay if your holiday season is not the perfect celebration of gratitude, togetherness and generosity you and society want it to be. Life is not always cheery and fun, even during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although it is okay to not enjoy the holiday season, it is still important to maintain a healthy outlook on life, despite the time of year. This holiday season, if you are dreading the holidays, try to remember that negative emotions are a part of life and they can pass, as do the holidays.