"The day after Christmas can be a letdown. After weeks of preparation, parties, and anticipation, the festivities end, and we are left facing the demands of a new year. Unlike the British, Americans don't celebrate Boxing Day, and most of us don't have 12th Night celebrations either. Instead, we clean up wrapping paper, put away the leftovers, and wonder what the new year will bring."
"Part of the problem is that we are conditioned to think of Christmas as a magical holiday. The image of a precious baby celebrated by angels and a caring grandfather who rewards good behavior with gifts fuels our hopes for a holiday that will make us feel good about ourselves and the world. While most of our childhood holidays were more nuanced and the realities of adulthood tarnish the magic of the day,"
The period after holidays often feels anticlimactic when preparations, parties, and expectations end and everyday demands return. Cultural differences leave Americans without extended celebratory rituals, so cleanup and uncertainty replace festivity. Childhood images of a magical holiday raise expectations that adulthood and real-world nuances fail to meet, producing sadness, anger, anxiety, or bitterness when the anticipated warmth does not materialize. People chase perfection through decorations, gifts, and culinary rituals, sometimes to please others rather than themselves. Honest post-holiday reflection helps identify what brought joy, what felt burdensome, and whether time was spent on meaningful relationships or performative tasks.
Read at Psychology Today
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