As Christmas Time Nears — A Researched Insight into Holiday Depression
While some people deem the Holiday Season a great time of gift-giving, family bonding, and page-turning, others trudge through this time with great pain and anguish.
It was a cold eve in early December; my friends and I had just finished our first semester partials and were discussing our plans for Christmas vacation. Energized by my usual love for the holidays, I suggested we meet up sooner rather than later before holiday commitments get in the way. The response from one friend in particular caught me off guard. “The holidays mean nothing to me,” he said.
…What? It was not the first time I had heard opposition or contempt towards the holiday season, but it was the first instance of a really close friend voicing such opinion. My curiosity having been kindled, knew no bounds until I understood exactly why my friend felt that way about Christmas. The concept should have been simple — but research. The moment I delved into this I knew that I had to first establish why do people love the holidays in the first place.
With all that being said: Why do we love the holidays? Why do some people hate them? and can their negativity be changed?
The Psychology of the Holidays
The holidays carry special meaning to those who cherish them; they hold connotations of love, giving, nostalgia, and family. Often, the way we feel about the holidays is as much related to the past as it is to the present. In psychology this is called “association.” For further reading, refer to the book “Learning: Principles and Applications,” by Stephen B Klein.
Obviously, most people associate Christmas with positive emotions and beautiful memories. It is true, evident, and proven by the fact that grown adults still view Christmas positively even when they lose money and aren’t showered with gifts. However, it is still important to note that the positive associations with Christmas are in part formed thanks to generous gift-receiving during childhood. Later in adulthood, even if such customs are much less prominent, the positive mark remains.
Researching this, I also discovered that our attitude towards the holidays is built up over time rather than clearly set in stone. Although the childhood joy of Christmas is a foundation of sorts, every year alters slightly the package of emotions the holiday carries. This will be important later.
For the more scientifically oriented, the emotion of “Christmas Cheer” has been studied diligently by neuroscientists. Evidence for this emotion was found in a 2015 study conducted by the University of Denmark.
After being built up over the years, when does “Christmas cheer” come into play?
In this study, scientists studied neuron activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machines. When participants were shown photographs displaying a Christmas-themed subject, their brains lit up like a Christmas tree — pun very much intended. Unfortunately, scientists could not determine what exactly these light meant, but they weren’t present when participants were exposed to non-Christmas photos.
In general though, it can be drawn out that Christmas cheer is triggered by elements that tie us to the holidays: songs, foods, decorations and others. Still, it is not these surface-level formalities that build our love for Christmas.
Summarily:
- Cumulative yearly experience plays a vast role in establishing our relationship with Christmas.
- The package of emotions we carry for Christmas is known as the “Christmas Cheer.” (Usually includes values such as love, charity, forgiveness, etc…)
- This package of emotion is triggered yearly by elements that connect us to Christmas (songs, food, decoration, etc…)
The Dark Side of Christmas
After having explained how our attitude towards Christmas is forged, it should be obvious to the reader how some may suffer from what the University of Denmark researchers affectionately call “Bah Humbug” Syndrome.
Not every one who isn’t looking forward to the holidays is a Bah Humbug. Some might simply be burnt out from uni finals, or a stressful period at work for example. Bah Humbugs though… they chronically despise the season.
Bah Humbug! is defined by Oxford dictionary as a phrase “used to express grumpy dislike of something generally regarded as enjoyable, in particular Christmas.”
Contrarily to holiday-enjoyers, people who dislike Christmas hold very negative associations with Christmas. It could perhaps be a family fiasco, or the passing of a relative during Christmastime. Or, it could be the dreaded financial burden imposed by Christmas on working-class parents.
Again, we note that these associations are rooted in past experiences of Christmas. So no, Bah Humbugs are not pinnacles of grumpy Christmas-hating grumble; rather, they are victims of the past that tore their ideal vision of the holiday apart or prevented it from ever being formed.
In short, people who genuinely dislike the jolly season have usually had negative experiences with the holiday that permanently coated it in a layer of trauma they have to relive every year. While you feel nostalgic for your grandma’s food this Christmas, another might be living his/her first Christmas without one.
…and Then There Are People Who Don’t Care.
Most people love the holidays, while others hate it. Some, however, could not give a damn about what unfolds during the jolliest of seasons. This lack of concern could be also traced to the concept of associations — or lack thereof.
If there are no memories and experiences to tie you to the holiday, be it positively or negatively, then you wouldn’t have reason to care for it. Simply.
Can a Bah Humbug Change?
The short answer is yes. The long one, like almost everything in psychology, it depends. Some traumatic experiences may never be completely healed and as such Christmas to some will always remain a bitter time of sad reflection into what ails them most.
The human mind is fascinating on the count of its adaptability to change. It is possible for individuals who had never had any positive contact with Christmas in childhood to later on form an attachment to the holiday.
Friends, coworkers, and loved ones all play a role in constructing our relationship with the holidays; however, this relationship is malleable and I believe you should be a part of what changes a Bah Humbug’s attitude for the better. If you are a holiday-enjoyer, do not let Bah Humbugs bring down your spirit, instead, be a part of their new more positive construction of Christmas.
I resolved to give my apathetic friends a part of my Christmas Cheer. Maybe it won’t change much, but the buds of kindness ought to bloom one day in the season of jolly.
If you have a friend who feels lonely or depressed this time of year,
the best thing you could do would be to share your “Christmas Cheer,”
The jolly season is yours and mine to share,
With people who feel lonely this time of year.
Hey, you made it. This article comes after a painful first semester of junioritis... If you enjoyed it though do leave a clap and share. Thanks for dropping by, and have a Merry, Merry, Christmas!
