Divorce, Death, Disagreements, Drunkenness & Desperation = Christmas

My lovely estate agent said that there is always an upturn in the property market after Christmas because so many people decide to Divorce. They realise that they just can't stand to be together, so they have to sell up.

In the 2017 to 2018 winter period, there were an estimated 50,100 excess winter Deaths in England and Wales. The excess winter deaths were the highest recorded since winter 1975 to 1976. Above average mortality is routinely seen between December & March. Most people die between 3 - 4 am.

We are holed up at home, with people we don't normally spend huge amounts of time with, & with no work exit. A week or two, with high expectations and sometimes frustrated hopes, can lead to things can coming to a head & Disagreements ensue.

We drink to be jolly & to cope with all of this. The average Briton consumed an average of 26 units per day last Christmas, with the nation collectively  drinking almost six billion units of alcohol between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day in 2018. Men in the UK have roughly one and a half more drinks than women on Christmas day, according to new research.(The women are too busy getting the Christmas lunch on the table!) There is huge pressure to drink far more than normal, with the usual resulting hangovers & worse. Apparently Champagne & Port make you drunk quicker. Drunkenness is not a pretty sight.

What is the point of it all? Why do we repeat the same behaviour patterns annually? For many people, Christmas is not a time of "good cheer". It is a time of lonliness & Desperation. A time when the pressure to spend what you don't have is enormous. The expectation of presents that will surprise & delight, the expectation of plentiful food & drink, the expectation of fun & enjoyment with friends & relatives - How can it fulfill all of this for everyone? 

It can't, it simply isn't possible.