Christmas stress, is it worth it?

Christmas, it's a great time of year isn't it?  The shopping, the food, drink, the lights and all those things you've got to get done in a short space of time before that big day.  Is it really worth all the stress and agro though?  I just can't understand the lengths that some people go to and the amount of stress they endure for Christmas.

It's a particularly hard time of year for parents, particularly the wife or girlfriend.  I'm not being sexist there, I'm just telling it as I see it.  It's a lot of stress and heartache because of what's expected of them.  They've got to buy all the presents for the children and the family, get it all organised and at the same time run a household, you know - business as usual. Doesn't this remind you of a swan?  Everything's smooth and comfortable, but somebody's paddling like hell underneath just to keep it that way.  It's a juggling act that people probably don't appreciate, perhaps least of all the kids.  Men I think get off lightly at Christmas; carving a turkey isn't exactly stressful is it?  Hubby's probably not much help and leaves all the organising up to her.  No wonder she's a bit snappy today!

I know the kids are excited about Christmas and we tell ourselves that they are the real reason we go through this every year - it's probably worth it just to see their faces.  But not until they're much older will they really appreciate what goes into making that 'special' day happen.

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Christmas shopping is probably a gripe in itself.  We're all herded into this frenzy every year of buying, buying and yet more buying.  Sometimes it seems like we're doing it just for the sake of it.  'Because it's expected', and you haven't quite got the guts to do anything different.  The amount money we throw at the high street retailers at this time of year is a measuring stick whereby those in power decide how well the economy is doing.  Well they're almost certainly in for a shock this year because we’re not going to spend our way out of this recession!

Christmas stress, is it really worth it?  It's a hard question to answer or me because I’m not really a fan of Christmas.  You see the look on a kid's face when they open up their presents on one hand, but at the same time you see others stressed out with money worries or running around trying to do everything and be everywhere.  Have a think about it; I'll leave you to decide.

By: E. Scrooge

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