Lee Suckling: The things we hate about Christmas

There are some things about Christmas that irk even the best of us. Photo / 123RF

Everyone is supposed to love Christmas. There are some things about this so-called festive day, however, that irk even the best of us. When you come across the things that drive you nuts about the holiday season, rest assured you're not the only one out there daydreaming about January.

Commercialisation

If you work in retail, it's likely you were hating on Christmas before December even began. Over the last decade or so, New Zealand companies have torn pages from The Coca-Cola Guide to an Americanized Christmas (not an actual book) and turned Christmas preparation into an intolerable commercial hubbub. Somehow, it's become acceptable for employers to start playing Snoopy's Christmas in October, much to the dismay of everyone within earshot. Societal expectations are following this trend, and now force us into buying Christmas gifts earlier (and more of them). This makes it increasingly hard to separate this commercial pressure from the actual reasons for Christmas.

Too much family time

When Christmas actually arrives and the commercialisation dies down, then you're left with your family. Nice for some, but others can't stand the sibling bickering and weird relative small talk we're obliged to deal with for the sake of the festive season. If you already know your family tolerance level (for some it's three hours, others it's three days), it's wise to plan non-family events and outings so you can catch a break from too much family time. If you've already reverted back to parent-child mode on Christmas eve, try to find a relief outlet that doesn't involve overdoing it on the holiday sherry.

Guilt

Every year, most of us experience feelings of guilt at Christmas. They might come when you're deciding whose parents to spend the day with. Or, perhaps they arrive after being cornered by an aunt, who'll congratulate your career success, then spend 45 minutes divulging the year's failures of your cousin, their middle child. It's hard to escape the Christmas Day guilt trip that always comes with close proximity to people who've known you your whole life, and even harder when you get so antsy you end up dishing out the guilt trips yourself.

Everything is closed

Rejoice! Christmas is a day that everyone deserves to have off! But what if you don't live in the same city - or country - as your nearest and dearest? It happens to many of us, and some aren't organised enough to pull together an Orphan's Christmas like Kiwi and Aussie expats do every year in London. For them, while the idea of relaxing with Christmas TV all day seems alright, sheer boredom and cabin fever kick in around midday and they're left with only the Christmas Day release at the local cinema (or surcharges at touristy restaurants) to get them through.

Over indulging

Christmas morning always starts out fine. A few strawberries here. A blini or two there. You think you're full after a big Christmas lunch but, for some inane reason, you continue to nibble on chocolate and mince pies all afternoon. Come 5pm, you feel like you should be trading places with the stuffed turkey you have to eat at suppertime. Then there's the booze - mimosas, champagne, the cheap Scotch someone just opened. The over indulgence is never ending. Boxing Day arrives and, despite what you've done to your body in the last 24 hours, you still feel the urge to dive into leftovers.

Over indulging and weight gain will happen over Christmas as you eat and drink your way through the festive season. Photo / Thinkstock

Weight gain

It's inevitable over the holiday period. Not only because you eat and drink your way through the festive season, but also because, for a week or two, you completely stop exercising. The result is a double-whammy of weight gain; fuelled by both over-indulgence AND inactivity. However, down in New Zealand we don't have it as bad as our Northern Hemisphere friends. We still have the pressure to enjoy the Kiwi summer and get into our beach cossies every day, and this obligation (and not having a wooly jumper to hide behind) should keep us from putting on so many extra pounds we'll need to diet until Valentine's Day.

Being left broke

It's not enough that Christmas comes with both commercial pressure and social pressure. Because you have to spend December's entire pay packet on presents and some semblance of a holiday, you're left completely broke, too. There's no way around this. If you scrimp on gifting, come the 25th you'll feel immensely guilty when you realise everyone who bought for you wasn't so cheap. If you decide you can't afford to travel to see friends and family this year, you end up alone on Christmas (and maybe even forking out even more for a last minute fare). It's a lose-lose situation, but just like everything else you hate about Christmas, being broke for a while is probably worth it.

- nzherald.co.nz