Keira Sarmiento

“Season’s greetings” is a common phrase used during the holiday season. However, the season, from late fall to winter, greets people with a series of challenges.

As a kid, I looked forward to December with tingling excitement. This is the time of year when I would jam to Christmas songs in the car. I would watch Christmas movies with my family and stay up til midnight with my cousins! Every day, I dreamt of Christmas morning.

Now, each day leading up to Christmas makes me feel anxious.

I consider myself an optimist. I like to see the good in things. But anticipation for the holidays is the exact opposite of what it should be. Stressful. Sad. Struggles. School.

“Happy holidays” has become ironic. As such, I will present my case regarding the unfortunate events that often coincide with the holiday season.

In elementary school, we would have holiday parties before taking a break for the holidays. In high school, there’s a thing called finals. That means that each day closer to the holidays is also a day closer to some of the biggest, grade-determining tests of the semester. It doesn’t help that grades matter a lot more in high school than in middle or elementary school.

In addition, seniors are particularly fortunate because they have the opportunity to continue their college applications throughout the first few weeks of the new year. While in some regards it’s nice to have time over the break to catch up on applications, I don’t imagine it will be the most wonderful time of the year, either. 

When I was younger, I used to love the tradition of gift-giving, but that was because I wasn’t the one buying the gifts. I only had to hand them out during parties and take all the credit! As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to understand why my mom, our family’s designated gift buyer, often feels stressed during the holiday season. She has spreadsheets to track all the people we need to buy gifts for, yet it’s still a lot of work!

Additionally, many younger people may feel stressed due to the high cost of gifts, which seems to increase each year. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 54% of people aged 18 to 34 felt worried about affording holiday gifts.

Don’t get me wrong, creating or going gift shopping can be tons of fun, but in addition to all the other tasks life throws at people, it can begin to feel more like a chore that we feel socially responsible for completing.

On a more serious note, mental health can also suffer during the holidays. There’s even a term for it. Holiday depression can be caused by stressful events, being alone, loss of loved ones, social anxiety, or even trauma associated with the holidays. 

In general, the late fall to winter months can take their toll on mental health. Seasonal depression, professionally known as seasonal affective disorder, is the term used for people who feel excessive sadness, anxiety, and fatigue during these months. Researchers predict that a lack of sunlight during the fall and winter months may be a contributing factor to the decline.

With all the stressful events brought forth during December, it is no surprise that nearly 5% of adults in the United States, many being young adults, experience seasonal depression. Based on the 2020 Census data, that would amount to more than 12 million people.

It’s unfortunate that during a season supposedly filled with joy, many people experience feelings of loneliness and hopelessness.

However, it is worth noting that the holiday season has always coincided with these dreary months. Holidays give us something to look forward to — a light in the dark. When I’m feeling like giving up, New Year’s gives me a fresh start. All the hardships leading up to the holidays make me truly appreciate the break, the celebrations, and the time spent with friends and family.

But still, not everyone has that comfort to look forward to.

So all I can say is to keep the people struggling in mind during this season, and wish them love and glad tidings.