By: R.J. Melby

I’m twenty-six and going to college as a full-time student. I pay the bills like anyone else. Whether it’s working in a tire shop, a grocery store meat department or as a cart pusher, dread always seems to creep around the corner during the months of November and December. Holiday music becomes a warning siren rather than uplifting music. People flock to stores, making unrealistic demands and big purchases, all to seem the more benevolent at their holiday parties. As the snow falls in Minnesota, everyone scrambles to buy, buy and buy.

The holiday season is rolling in, that time for friends and families to come together, the devouring of comfort foods and extraneous gift giving. One would feel this would be a happy time for every U.S. working adult, but for many this is not the case. While this was perhaps true when we were kids, back when financial stress was a distant, hazy echo from our parents’ mouths, today many are feeling the negative impact of the so-called happiest time of year.

According to a 2023 survey published by the American Psychological Association, 43% of participants said the pressures of the holiday season hamper and negate the joyousness. The leading stressor? Financial pressures. With the need to buy winter gear, food and gifts, all while paying the rent, it is not hard to imagine how the holiday season can turn a person into a Grinch. Now, in an economy where groceries and everyday household items become more and more expensive, many Americans are feeling frustrated and anxious. Then there’s the effect the holidays have on retail workers, as many deal with the stress of meeting popular demand while holding on to sanity.

So how do we deal with this stress in a healthy, productive way? For some, the stress may be counteracted by their faith, as they find spiritual significance in the winter celebration. Others see the holidays as an opportunity to get back in touch with old friends and relatives. Then there’s the year-end giving, where generosity leads good folks to donate to various charities and networks. Some get around the financial stress by participating in what’s known as “Secret Santa,” in which each person in a group is randomly assigned to give a gift to another person in the group. Others have elected to just give cards, or pool money into prizes for holiday games. Even homemade gifts can be a great way to save money while also showing how much you care about a person, easing the burden of feeling obligated to give every person you’re close to a Christmas gift.

Still, for others who see Christmas as another commercial holiday, it may seem like a drag. The “urge to Scrooge” and the yearning to yell violently, “Bah, Humbugs!” to passersbys doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

As great as the holidays can be, in the end, many of us will breathe a sigh of relief when January comes.