Christmas pressure

Hello everyone, it's officially December, and you know what that means : festive season. With Christmas and New Year's around the corner, it's usually a busy time. That's why I thought it would be interesting to talk today about the pressure we might feel during this period, especially when it comes to Christmas and everything we see on social media and around us.

To start, there's the pressure of being in a relationship. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who feels guilty for being single at this time of year. Everything seems to idealize romantic relationships during Christmas. Firstly, because it's literally the theme of most Christmas movies. Even if some try to shift the focus to other topics, like 'Home Alone' or 'The Grinch', all the movies that are aired on TV every day in the days leading up to Christmas are stories of love or individuals who find love during this period. There's often a sense of guilt when you're single, watching TV alone, and forced to watch Christmas movies on repeat with no other option. Let's not be hypocrites, we still love these films even though we sometimes feel depressed when we realize that we're still single, for another year at least.

But also the songs that are played on repeat. The most popular Christmas songs are all about people waiting or wanting to spend Christmas with their loved ones. For example, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey says, 'Cause I just want you here tonight, holding onto me so tight', and "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande says: 'Santa Tell Me if You're Really There, Don't Make Me Fall in Love Again. '

Next, the fear of no longer feeling the magic of childhood is also something we can face. As I get older, I feel like I no longer experience that 'magical' feeling when we get closer to Christmas. I'd like to illustrate this through the example of the character Charlie Brown from 'Snoopy and the Peanuts'. He has this moment where he's with Linus and he explains that he doesn't feel what he's supposed to feel as the holidays approach  « I think there must be something wrong with me Linus, Christmas is coming but I am not happy, I don’t feel the Way i’m supposed to feel». And I find that it reflects a bit of the state of mind during this period. It seems like we're supposed to be happy because it's Christmas, with the lights, the parties, the joyous music, and the stores filled with decorations. Everything inspires us to seek comfort in this holiday. However, it seems more like an obligation to be happy rather than a genuine pleasure. And it's often also depressing to realize that the magic feeling we had as children is gone.

Lastly, there's the idea of Christmas being a perfect moment. We feel the need to have a lot of fun, enjoyment, and to spend time with our friends and our significant other doing plenty of Christmas activities, to be generous and buy gifts for everyone, and to decorate with the best decorations. We create our own expectations for this period that can exhaust or make us unhappy if we cannot meet these expectations, as our friends or ourselves may not be available, or if we do not necessarily have the means to find the best decorations or gifts for everyone.

I think that with all this, society is imposing an unnecessary pressure on us, knowing that Christmas only happens once a year and that we will always have the opportunity to celebrate it next year. However, without realizing it, we create our own expectations about what Christmas should look like, but in reality, there's no perfect Christmas. If you feel stressed, remember that Christmas is first and foremost a time for sharing and joy. So no, it's not a big deal if you don't have partner this year to go to Christmas markets and take beautiful photos. You're also not obligaded to offer expensive gifts to your family so that they can feel your love. For Christmas, what matters most is what you bring with your heart, it's simple moments spent with your friends or even alone with a good book.