A great article! I don't always (often?) agree with Viv but she's right on with this one. I would only add that as a a cis straight man I too wish the whole holiday thing would simply go away, it's only a construct by big (and small) business to extract $ from a guilty bunch of sheep (just look at all the ads in TS for worthless future landfill crap. As someone who doesn't drink anymore that sort of lets the air out of that balloon.

If you find yourself enjoying feeling sorry for yourself, you'll just get lonelier. No matter what you're going through, reach out and comforting others pays back in spades. Someone else in your orbit is always having a harder time than you. Help them.

Marvelous piece, thank you Vivian!

Here are thoughts from three writers who have helped me stay steady through the holidays:

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof." - Richard Bach

"It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not." - André Gide

"Public holidays I ignore. I think it’s because people who are by nature happy have no need of festivities." - Quentin Crisp

Strangers readers are far more conformist that I thought. Apparently, they need a free weekly rag to tell them ignoring the holidays is OK.

It's very simple: holidays are not mandatory.

Good. Stay away. We'll all be enjoying life.