- Holidays, like Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, can be some of the most joyous times of the year.
- The family time, the memories made – there’s a reason why we look forward to them.
- But they’re not without their drawbacks like large and inebriated crowds, god-awful color schemes, annoying obligations, financial burdens, and ridiculous travel conditions.
- Maybe Ebenezer Scrooge was onto something with his “Humbug” attitude.
- Here’s why holidays can be the actual worst.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Holidays can be the happiest times of the year.
Foto: sourceLWA/Dann Tardif/Getty Images
But they’re not without their downsides.
Foto: sourceParamount Pictures
They can be rife with annoying obligations, family drama …
Foto: sourceIMDb/Warner Bros.
… and god-awful color schemes, like the garish, swampy green that is practically inescapable throughout the month of March, thanks to St. Patrick’s Day.
Foto: sourceStephanie Keith/Getty Images
Many holidays also have traditions that are grossly overrated, like carving pumpkins on Halloween.
Foto: sourceJoe Raedle/Getty Images
Preparing a Jack O’ Lantern has got to be one of the grossest things ever.
Foto: sourceLuke Jones/Flickr
And while you might envision creating something intricate and interesting …
Foto: sourceElise Amendola/AP
… you’ll probably wind up with something more like this.
Foto: sourceShyn Darkly/Flickr
And then once October 31 has come and gone, you’re left with a heaping, rotting mess on your doorstep …
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… unless some hooligan has already smashed your pumpkin in the street.
Foto: sourceMorgan/Flickr
Deciding on a Halloween costume can definitely be fun, but it can also be exhausting.
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Should you be something sexy …
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… or clever …
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… or don a good, old-fashioned scary get-up?
Foto: sourceOli Scarff/Getty Images
If it’s cold out, you might get chilly with your midriff exposed.
Foto: sourceStarmax/AP
The glaring cultural appropriation is offensive.
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And a lot of the time, the people you run into on Halloween will have put zero effort into their costume even though you went all out.
Foto: #youtriedsourceEli Christman/Flickr
But no matter what costume you go with, it’s bound to be expensive if you buy it in a Halloween shop.
Foto: sourceRob Stothard/Getty Images
The holiday overall is an expensive one, with the average Halloween participant spending $86.79 on candy, decorations, and costumes.
Foto: sourceAlex Wong/Getty Images
Source: National Retail Federation
If you’re not into haunted houses, too bad — your friends will probably try to drag you to one anyway, since they’re the ultimate pastime during the month of October.
Foto: sourceCharles McQuillan/Getty Images
During the Halloween season, sometimes-scary ads for new horror movies are unavoidable.
Foto: “Halloween” in 2018.sourceUniversal Pictures/IMDb
There can also be so much pressure to nail down an invite to a Halloween party.
Foto: sourceKen Mayer/Flickr
And when Halloween falls on a weekday, you’re forced to either take it easy with that night’s booze-filled festivities …
Foto: sourceMario Tama/Getty Images
… or live with the consequences in the office the next morning.
Foto: sourceSherman/Three Lions/Getty Images
Thanksgiving — a day of gratitude — can also be a day of stress.
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If you can’t be with your family on Thanksgiving, you might have to settle for a “Friendsgiving” and spend the holiday with the same people you see all the time.
Foto: sourceGetty Images/Warner Bros.
And if you can make it home for Thanksgiving, fair warning — the holiday sees some of the busiest traffic of the year.
Foto: sourceGeorge Frey/Getty Images
Source: USA Today
The American Automobile Association (AAA) projects 54.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving.
Foto: Steve Martin in “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” in 1987.sourceIMDb/Paramount Pictures
Source: AAA
When it’s time to start preparing the turkey feast with your family, forgetting something is out of the question — the grocery store will undoubtedly be packed with people seeking last-minute dinner items … or it will be closed.
Foto: sourceTim Boyle/Getty Images
If you’re one of the younger adults of the group, you might have to sit at the kids’ table with all the youngsters.
Foto: sourceGreg Walters/Flickr
You may also be recruited to handle the massive amount of dirty dishes after Thanksgiving dinner.
Foto: sourceRex Roof/Flickr
And if you’re not, you’ll wind up slowly slipping into a food coma …
Foto: sourceYouTube/NBC
… that is, if you can nap through the noise of a football game that you’ll be forced to watch, even if you don’t want to.
Foto: sourceMatthew Stockman/Getty Images
Leftovers are great the first day you eat them — but you could be eating Thanksgiving leftovers for weeks.
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And the apocalyptic shopping showdown that is Black Friday is arguably the worst way to spend the day after Thanksgiving.
Foto: sourceKena Betancur/Getty Images
You’ll also get whiplash from how quickly the world transitions from Thanksgiving to Christmas …
Foto: Christmas decorations fill a Macy’s department store the day after Thanksgiving on Black Friday in 2003.sourceStephen Chernin/Getty Images
… which, btw, isn’t all jingle bells and mistletoe, either.
Foto: sourceSean Gallup/Getty Images
For starters, the Christmas season is the most stressful time of the year for some.
Foto: The 1992 movie “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”sourceIMDb/20th Century Fox
Source: CNBC
There are presents to be bought and wrapped ...
Foto: sourceGeorge Marks/Retrofile/Getty Images
... holiday cards to send out ...
Foto: sourceMatt Cardy/Getty Images
... and decorations to put up.
Foto: sourceTim Boyle/Getty Images
So maybe those who dread the December holiday have reason to do so.
Foto: Jim Carrey in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" in 2000.sourceIMDb/Universal Pictures
Source: Psychology Today
And the financial burden doesn't help, either.
Foto: sourceJoe Raedle/Newsmakers
Shoppers in the US planned to shell out an average of $929 for holiday gifts as of 2018.
Foto: sourceJeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Source: The Motley Fool
And not only is travel absolutely chaotic during the holiday season, but it's also way more expensive due to high demand.
Foto: The 1992 movie "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."sourceIMDb/20th Century Fox
Source: CNN
On top of that, going home for the holidays can be a stressor in and of itself if you're forced to see family that you're maybe not too fond of.
Foto: We all have a Cousin Eddie, like in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."sourceIMDb/Warner Bros.
You'll be subjected to awkward photos with them, even if you barely know them.
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You'll likely be peppered with questions, especially if you're single ...
Foto: Being the single sibling, sans a partner and kids, makes you an easy target.sourceIMDb/Screen Gems
... which can be difficult throughout the holidays.
Foto: sourceAnadolu Agency/Contributor/Getty Images
Cuffing season, which colloquially refers to the fall and winter period when single people yearn for a relationship, is a very real thing.
Foto: sourceRobert Alexander/Getty Images
Source: Refinery29
But if you are in a relationship and decide to bring your significant other home to meet your family, it's bound to be awkward, too.
Foto: The 2005 movie "The Family Stone."sourceIMDb/20th Century Fox
Though there's always a good chance that you might not have to deal with that — the two-week period before Christmas is also one of the most popular times of the year for breakups.
Foto: Cameron Diaz's character in "The Holiday" called it off before whisking herself on a Christmas vacation.sourceYouTube/Universal Pictures
Source: Coffee Meets Bagel
Either way, if you're traveling home, you'll likely be forced to stay in your childhood bedroom, which can feel a bit like this.
Foto: Will Ferrell in "Elf" in 2003.sourceIMDb/Warner Bros.
Your family will likely insist on Christmas movies and songs playing on a loop, which will definitely get old after a while.
Foto: You can only take so much of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You."sourceMat Hayward/Getty Images for Sugar Factory American Brasserie
New Year's Eve brings it own share of drawbacks.
Foto: sourceAndrew Burton/Getty Images
For some, it's having to shop for an obnoxiously shiny outfit that you'll wear the night of December 31 and then proceed to never wear again.
Foto: sourceWikimedia Commons
New Year's Eve is arguably the holiday that comes with the most pressure to have a knock-out night ringing in the new year ...
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... which means it's easy for the night to fall short of expectations.
Foto: sourceWarner Bros
In colder climates, it'll probably be too unbearably chilly to show off your cute, overpriced, sparkly outfit.
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No matter where you go, it will be crowded with other celebrators.
Foto: sourceAndrew Theodorakis/Getty Images
And every party starts way too late since the holiday's climax falls at midnight.
Foto: Can we go home now?sourceAndrew Kelly/Reuters
The drink of choice for the night, Champagne, is way too expensive.
Foto: I'll take a $3 beer please and thanks.sourceScott Barbour/Getty Images
And let's not forget the inevitable hangover the next morning ...
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... which is even worse if you have to work the next day. New Years Day isn't a guaranteed day off.
Foto: sourceMichael Dodge / Stringer / Getty Images
Source: Time and Date
If you're single, you're left to watch others make out around you ...
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... which can make you painfully aware of how single you are.
Foto: sourceMario Tama/Getty Images
It's not uncommon for a proposal to go down right in front of you either.
Foto: sourceYana Paskova/Getty Images
What's leftover after the clock strikes 12 is a giant heaping mess.
Foto: sourceJemal Countess/Getty Images
The New Year's Eve bash of 2018 left 50 tons of debris in New York's Times Square.
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Source: Huffington Post
Maybe do yourself and the planet a favor and try staying in next New Year's Eve.
Foto: sourceHero Images/Getty Images
Save your money on another holiday ...
Foto: sourceShutterstock/Anatolii Brohovskyi
... like Valentine's Day.
Foto: sourceStephen Chernin/Getty Images
But if you're planning to fully participate in the day of love, get ready to spend an average of around $136.57 on Valentine's Day paraphernalia and activities.
Foto: sourceDrew Angerer/Getty Images
Source: USA Today
The cards, the large dinner bills at fancy restaurants ...
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... the gifts, the candy — it can be a headache when you have a sweetheart to celebrate with on Valentine's Day.
Foto: sourceStephen Chernin/Getty Images
And while the gift-giving is a kind gesture, sometimes it entails lugging around a larger-than-life teddy bear.
Foto: sourceKristian Dowling/Getty Images
I mean, really, what are you going to do with a stuffed animal that big?
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Of course, it can be a whole other case of annoyance or melancholy if you're spending the holiday alone eating candy by yourself.
Foto: Jessica Biel in "Valentine's Day" in 2010.sourceIMDb/Warner Bros.
But at least you're spared the mounting pressure to step things up for your significant other on the day of love ...
Foto: sourceDan Kitwood/Getty Images
... which may or may not include a proposal.
Foto: sourceDrew Angerer/Getty Images
But then again, your relationship might just go the opposite route — Valentine's Day is one of the most popular times of the year to break up with your significant other.
Foto: sourceGeorge Marks/Retrofile/Getty Images
Source: Coffee Meets Bagel
And don't even start with the color scheme — the loud mashup of pink and red gets to be blinding at a certain point.
Foto: sourceJessica Rinaldi/Getty Images
As is the hangover that comes with celebrating St. Patrick's Day — it can become quite the rowdy affair ...
Foto: sourceMichael Nagle/Getty Images
... that involves unhealthy amounts of alcohol consumption.
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An average of 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed worldwide on St. Patrick's Day.
Foto: sourceBrendon Thorne/Getty Images
Source: INSIDER
And that's just Guinness — other beers, some that are dyed, are also a go-to.
Foto: sourceJohn McConnico/AP
All in all, beer and St. Patrick's Day tend to go hand-in-hand, so it makes sense that the holiday is the fourth most popular drinking day in America.
Foto: sourceChris McGrath/Getty Images
Source: INSIDER
That can't be good on your liver.
Foto: sourceStephen Morton/AP
The holiday is also known for celebrators sporting the gaudy, green color in every shape and form for the Irish holiday on March 17.
Foto: sourceDrew Angerer/Getty Images
People love to dye things green — even their pets green, which probably isn't fun for them.
Foto: sourceBrian Kersey/Getty Images
Parades with the family can be fun, but not if you have to stand in the rain or snow waiting for parade floats to go by.
Foto: Snow and rain can definitely put a damper on a festive St. Patrick's Day parade.sourceJohn McConnico/AP
And if bagpipes aren't your thing, too bad — the boisterous sounds will echo pretty much everywhere you go.
Foto: sourceStephanie Keith/Getty Images
And you'll constantly run into people dressed up as leprechauns.
Foto: sourceWilliam Thomas Cain/Getty Images
But as far as fictitious characters go, they're not as creepy as the Easter bunny.
Foto: sourceDavid Duprey/AP
The furry creatures are found everywhere, in the form of chocolates, in shopping malls, throughout the month of April.
Foto: sourceTim Boyle/Getty Images
The fashion at the annual Easter Parade in New York can be equally unsettling.
Foto: sourceStephen Chernin/Getty Images
The long-standing tradition sees hundreds pour down New York's Fifth Avenue dressed to the nines in ghastly headdresses sporting flora, fauna ...
Foto: sourceStephanie Keith/Getty Images
... and lots of pastel colors.
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It's a color scheme that's hard to escape in April.
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As is confetti, thanks to the Easter tradition of cracking open eggs filled with the stuff on top of people's heads, which hurts worse than they lead you to believe, by the way.
Foto: sourceDavid/Flickr
All in all, the holidays can definitely be a stress-filled bummer. But, it's important to keep in mind that they also have the potential to be days filled with love, family, and good vibes all around.
Foto: HRH Prince Charles poses with son Prince William at the start of their annual skiing holiday in Switzerland.sourcePascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
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15 reasons why we're obsessed with Christmas - and why you should be too