Does Anyone Else Despise the Christmas Season? | Finding Joy Beyond the Gifts

If you’ve ever sat at your kitchen table in December surrounded by wrapping paper, half-filled Amazon carts, and a cup of cold coffee thinking, “Does anyone else despise the Christmas season?”—you’re in good company. Christmas Season

Don’t get me wrong—I love Christmas. I love the lights twinkling on porches, the smell of cinnamon, and the quiet hum that fills our home when the tree is glowing and everyone’s finally asleep. But what I don’t love is the Christmas gift-giving stress that sneaks in and steals the magic. Christmas Season

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When Did It Get So Stressful?

Somewhere along the way, the season turned from celebrating love and togetherness into a marathon of trying to find the perfect something for everyone. The gifts, the teacher baskets, the party swaps—it all piles up until the joy feels buried under receipts and to-do lists. And maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather give my people something we can’t wrap: time.

Our family is blessed. If we need something throughout the year, we buy it. We don’t wait until December to replace shoes or pick up new headphones. So when the holiday rolls around, I end up staring at a screen wondering, What on earth do I buy someone who already has what they need? Then the guilt sets in—because shouldn’t I be more excited about giving?

That’s when the anxiety creeps in: the debt, the deadlines, the sense that if I don’t find the right gift, I’m somehow failing at Christmas. I know I’m not alone here. Many of us love the spirit of the season but quietly dread the pressure that comes with it. Christmas Season

So this year, I’m starting small. Instead of chasing sales, I’m chasing peace. I’m giving myself permission to slow down. We’re still doing gifts, but we’re also adding something new—intentional moments. Movie nights. Cocoa by the fire. Walks to see Christmas lights. Real connection. Christmas Season

And once my boy gets a little older, I plan to change things even more. Maybe just one or two gifts under the tree, and instead of wrapping paper piled high, there will be memories waiting to happen. I’m thinking of writing our future trips or adventures on slips of paper—“Spring break at the beach,” “Camping in the mountains,” “A weekend in Savannah”—and hiding them around the house. Imagine the excitement of finding a memory instead of a gadget.

It’s not about rejecting gifts or shaming anyone who loves shopping (some people genuinely find joy in the hunt!). It’s about redefining what giving means for us. For me, it’s giving presence over presents. Giving calm instead of clutter.

If you love Christmas shopping—good for you! We need those people who find joy in wrapping perfect bows and matching ribbons. But for the rest of us, maybe the best gift we can give our families this year is a mom who isn’t burnt out by December 26th.

So here’s to a simpler Christmas. To laughter around the table instead of frantic mall runs. To slowing down long enough to remember what this whole season was meant to be about in the first place—love, gratitude, and togetherness.

And if you ever find yourself whispering “Does anyone else despise the Christmas season?”—take a deep breath. You don’t despise Christmas. You just miss it. Christmas Season

 Written by Tanya Michelle

winter getaways in the southeast

Founder of The Mama Life Blog, singer-songwriter, and family travel storyteller based in Georgia. Tanya shares real-life parenting moments, Southeast travel escapes, and creative ways to balance motherhood, music, and meaning.

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