Why I’m Already Sick of Christmas

It's the night before my essay's due, and as usual, everything's gone to shit. What I need right now is pure concentration on writing something – anything – before the deadline. So you can imagine my despair at the sound of Christmas carols being belted out in the gyp next door. Again.

This was back in October. And I'm sorry to report that the situation is only getting worse. It's not just my neighbours who seem to have totally lost the plot, it's everyone. And it's everywhere.

I can't go outside without being bombarded by Christmas lights, festive shop windows and the sound of carols being sung on every street corner. Just why did Waterstones need to put up their Christmas decorations in October? Was Halloween not good enough?! Frankly it's all getting a bit too much.

Thankfully my degree's not so important that I don't have time to tackle this terrifying social crisis head on:

Stop this madness

I'm doing you a public service people, so don't complain. But I can't deny that all this has made me ask myself: why do I hate Christmas so much? And the strange thing is, I don't.

In fact, I love Christmas. I love Christmas more than any other time of the year. As a kid, I would spend hours in front of the TV watching Christmas music videos on MTV. I never minded going back to school in September because it meant rehearsals for the Carol Service would begin. Decorating the tree has practically become an annual ritual for my family. And yes, I cry at the John Lewis Christmas advert.

A recent conversation with my Mum made me wonder if it might just be hereditary:

my spirit animal i luv u xx

Or could this all just be a left-wing reaction against capitalism's ever-tightening grip? Try as you might, you can't avoid the millions of Christmas presents being thrust in your face by catalogues and supermarkets as soon as everyone's got over Jesus rising from the dead in April.

The truth is that Christmas is special. It's a rare chance to go home and spend some quality time with our families, away from the stresses of everyday life. There's nothing like gathering around the table for Christmas dinner surrounded by the ones you love the most.

At least that's what the adverts tell us anyway. But for a lot of people, that's not the reality. And increasingly for me, Christmas has been feeling less and less like the carefree celebration it once was.

I'll be leaving my JCR stash in my storage cupboard this vacation, to avoid the difficult conversation about why I own a jumper that says 'LGBT+ Officer'. My makeup's staying locked away in Cambridge too, because I'd rather not get judged for trying to express myself. I'll wince and grin during the annual family gathering when my relatives ask about the girls at university.

My situation is nowhere near as bad as other people's. I have the support of my friends and parents, and I'll be back here in no time. But still, the fact is Christmas will be pretty exhausting. And that's the real reason I don't like the early celebrations: if I use up all my festive cheer now, how will I keep my spirits up during the holidays?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's easy to forget Christmas isn't always, well, merry. So this year, by all means get excited for December 25th. Deep down, I know the child in me will be soon enough. But don't forget to check in on your friends on Christmas Day as well. A little bit of extra love might just mean the world to them.