“I’ve picked a few manageable family activities to reintroduce some of that seasonally specific joy — a tree-farm excursion, a gift-shopping day, dinner on Christmas Eve — prioritizing what I’m actually capable of and not what’s expected of me”
Photo: Getty Images Every year, I grow less attached to the holiday classics of my childhood, like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Jingle All the Way. Still, I cycle through them during the season, the slapstick antics, famous one-liners, and winter-themed soundtracks adding a merry touch to festive activities like baking and gift wrapping.
The stress of navigating the holidays feels isolating, as right around now Instagram becomes an endless scroll of families at tree farms and groups smiling over sprawling turkey dinners. And this year, excitement is at an all-time high with people trying to make up for last year’s missed festivities. But in reality, the dread — and oftentimes the refusal to ignore said dread and book a seat on an overpriced December 23 flight anyway — is more universal than you may think. Just ask your feed.
Logically, I know my husband and I are our own family too. Yet when Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself slipping, prioritizing everyone else’s expectations over my own . We joke sometimes that we should have kids just to have what feels like a universally justifiable excuse to stay home for the holidays — the same excuse his parents used to create new traditions of their own. Of course, it could also backfire spectacularly.