How do you handle holidays?

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I had no idea where else to put this.. I am 24 years old so not the 30 year old gap like most here so please bare with me. If this needs moved else where please do so..

Anyways, I have been working on my homework for college and decided to pop open Pandora Radio. It's a bit early but I decided to open up the Christmas Channel and well... I have been wondering the following for a while.

Why do I get sad around Christmas?

I was thinking, at first, it could be my parents sense they divorced when I was little (I was 10 years old and started to recieve the stress of having to go back and forth and the holidays kind of made it harder). But I started thinking that that cant be it. I tried to look back on old christmas past and I kept finding really sad times. I got yelled at (which lead to a massive fight) because mom told me I could scratch off her lotto ticket. (It was a tradition at the time)

I don't know .. I kept thinking on it and I have a few issues here and there with my mom sense she has this schedule.. every even number its her turn to have thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong but that feels immature.. But then I also have Dad's and his moms thanksgiving as well. This year I am going to go because of family hard times on her end (her mother went to the hospital and we thought it was a heart attack but it was a clot in the lung). But I don't find it fair that she came up with system that makes me feel trapped in a schedule and cant get out of with out getting into a fight with her. My dad says I should do as I please. If I don't want to go I shouldn't have to be forced. Mother was nice enough to let me invite a friend though.

Anyways... could that be it? I don't know but around this time of year I get bitter sweet. Grinch and Santa all at the same time... I shouldn't feel this way during the holidays but I do and it ruins everything.

Any suggestions/ideas?

You are 24 years old and free to choose who you spend the holidays with. With that being said there are always consequences for actions taken and you have to be willing to face them whatever they are. I get the feeling you are pressured to go here or there for the holidays base on someone else ideas of what is fair. This is an incongruity to having a good holiday since it suppose to be about being with family. If your Mom is not open to reason, then you have to do what suits you. Although with the concerns with her Mom this may not be the best time. This is the only way you will see if this is the cause of your unhappiness. I feel that if you didn’t feel trap by what has turned into an obligation you would be a lot happier.

My favorite holidays are centered around Natural Religion, although I'm no longer fond of religions in general.

Yule, Imbolc, Beltane, Lugnasadh, and Samhain.

Throw in Aphelion, Perihelion, the Equinoxes and the Solstices and you have my yearly holiday schedule!

Gimme that olde tyme religion, it's good enough for me!

I honor all the Jewish holidays due to my belief system. At the same time, I also observe the important holidays like Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day.

Around the holiday times, I have a really hard time since I don't go to big family events like most of my friends. Part of it is because I follow the Jewish holidays and I am the only one since my family does not. I also do not talk to my parents since we just don't click and then they just don't seem to care. At the same time, though, I always end up crying because the rest of my friends usually go out of town to see their families and such while I often feel left out in the cold.

I seldomly get invited anywhere by my friends during this time and it breaks my heart. In fact, I am tearing up now writing this, lol.

<--- Dreads the holidays because they accentuate his loneliness.

I've always had a thing for christmas, I like cold weather, cozy lighting and christmas trees.

I wish I could invite all those whom don't get invited to holiday gatherings... to bad this site doesn't have a chat service.. we could all get on and chat around the holidays.

I keep thinking there is a deeper meaning to this I just cant dig it out.. maybe it has to do with the "no moral all about money" scheme that society likes to plant on us.. I would love to do something free for everyone.. in my city.. but don't know what..

I have always loved Christmas. It was always about getting new toys. The part I hated about it was waiting till the holiday. I also love the decorations and the music. I also liked looking at Christmas lights. I just wish places still put stuff up. Our malls and stores still do here but the malls aren't as fancy with it like they were when I was a kid.

Easter, because it's in the spring, and I love spring.

I don't think Easter was in the poll.

New Years is my favorite holiday. Christmas is over, visiting family has already flown back from whence they came, all social pressure inherent to visiting family has flown away with them. Apartment is quiet as most neighbours have gone out to whatever New Years parties they attend.

The only holiday i can really think of that i celebrate is Christmas and i dont handle it very well. I get anxious around Christmas because its a social gathering when everyone is expected to be happy and cheerful.
My main worry about Christmas is the gift giving. The anticipation when everyone is sat around the living room passing out presents is very hard for me. I dont want to sound rude but its not even worth going through for the gifts themselves. I worry that i'll get something i dont want and then have to act like im happy. I cant act like im happy, i dont know where the limit is. Am i acting happy enough? Am i acting too happy? Surely everyone can see the uncomfort in my face.
Then theres the Christmas dinner, sitting around a table on chairs with little back support. I always end up having to lie down upstairs for an hour to try and stop my back from hurting so much.
I also find space to be a problem around Christmas time. There are usually inflated numbers of people at our gathering location, so im not very sure about where to sit, etc. Sometimes I'll even sit on the stairs. When i need to get away i'll take a walk in the garden, but then i worry that people are thinking "Why the f**k is he in the garden, the ungrateful bastard".
When i want to go home i have the stress of upsetting people for leaving too early. Especially with my mother, i feel like im some ret*d who cant cope with being around people so i have to go. I dont want to upset my family by leaving but it upsets me to be there. I dont want my family to have to cope with my weird ways. I dont want to not be there when they're having fun, in fact its really hard going home and being alone knowing that i should be back there with them. I just cant cope with all the focus on/around me.

Birthdays used to be really horrible for me but last year i found a great way to improve them. I found that if i buy gifts for others on my birthday, i have a reason to see them other than to pick up presents. If i give out gifts too, its a nice little thing i can focus on instead of worrying about receiving them. Funnily enough this doesnt seem to work for Christmas.

A good trick i've found when at social gatherings is to stay standing. Dont linger too long in any one room/group, so when you leave people wont be too bothered. Just float around and blend into the background of moving people.

Im getting my brother a huge cat climbing frame for Christmas this year, by the way. Im not sure what anyone else wants, though.

I hate Christmas for many reason not the least of which is I am an atheist. My birthday is December 21st and as a child it was always forgotten. I don't like to shop and I don't have money to buy the socially expected gifts so I feel like an outcast. I'm obviously an aspie so I don't like crowds of people and the noise of the holiday either, so Id be very happy if the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years weren't on my calender.

I feel the same about Easter.

I like to cook for others at Thanksgiving but the holiday means very little to me and I prefer not to take part in the big meal. If the weather is nice I go for a short bike ride after the food is on the table, just to get away from people.

I'm not very patriotic so the 4th of July doesn't mean anything to me.

New Years is kind of meaningless because it is arbitrary and I don't drink or watch football.

I'm not a pagan but I do observe a few of the holidays that Fnord mentioned, in my own way.