"Happy forced frivolity season! We have once again arrived at the eye of the storm for the holidays, where cheerfulness is mandatory and lack of goodwill towards people is punishable by stoning in the town square. Surely, I don't have to tell you that such quaint human emotions as happiness and hope are in short supply these days. This year, of all years, no one should be blamed for plugging their ears any time Mariah Carey comes on in the lobby of the unemployment office."
"And yet, we carry on with the rituals of joy that seem more and more incongruous, when life feels like some never-ending episode of MTV's Ridiculousness, where God comments on clips of the human race getting hit in the face with a plastic baseball bat. I'm certainly making an effort to put on a pleasant facade. I've cobbled together some nice gifts for my friends"
Holiday social norms impose obligatory cheerfulness while happiness and hope remain scarce, making enforced merriment feel incongruous. Rituals of joy continue despite a widespread sense of disconnection, turning everyday life into surreal spectacle. Personal efforts to maintain a pleasant facade include preparing gifts, greeting strangers, and accepting most party invitations. White elephant gift exchanges intensify discomfort by requiring wrapped anonymous gifts, enforcing price caps, and encouraging selection based on appearance and instinct. The risk of others stealing chosen presents transforms potentially joyful surprises into frustrating, competitive experiences that provoke strong dispiriting feelings.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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