A Reason Not to Celebrate!!

The Stress!
The effects of "holiday syndrome" were first described by Cattell in 1955, thus: "diffuse anxiety, numerous regressive phenomena including marked feelings of helplessness, possessiveness and increased irritability, nostalgic or bitter ruminations about holiday experiences of youth, depressive affect and a wish for magical resolution of problems." Polls routinely show that most Americans consider Christmas to be the most stressful holiday of the year. And the number one irritant of Christmas? Fighting crowds in stores. Naturally, murder, suicide, and crime rates spike significantly.

The Spending!
44 percent of all Americans feel they spend too much on Christmas gifts. In 1998, Americans spent between $160 billion to $200 billion on presents — more than two-thirds the Defense budget! (That’s about $600 to $800 per person.) This doesn’t include the 5 billion Christmas cards, letters and packages sent through the mail. Nor does it include the traveling expenses of nearly 50 million Americans who travel over 100 miles during the Christmas and New Years holidays.