Bah, Humbug!: 6 Reasons The Holidays Get Worse As You Get Older

“Oh my goshhhh, you look 10 pounds bigger, you must be eating great while in school!”

Well thanks, Nana! Happy holidays to you, too.

Remember when you were younger and the holidays were the absolute best part of the year? You were able to leave school for a whole week and saw family you hadn't all year (not to mention, adults handled all the cooking).

Being around family is one of the biggest perks of the season, but the “compliments” and questions you now receive from them are not.

As a 20-something, your holiday thoughts may include, "Sh*t, I didn’t save for Aunt Kathy’s present." Or, "I love mom, but her macaroni makes me kind of gassy."

Back in the golden ages of your childhood, you couldn’t wait to get up on Christmas and open presents. Now, you just wish people would let you sleep in on the one day you have off that’s paid.

So, how did holidays go from amazing to annoying?

You Don’t Get Big Presents Anymore

Remember when you would wake up to a new scooter, roller blades or the newest game console? Well, that’s out the question these days. Now, you wake up to younger siblings and cousins getting all the goods while you reminisce in the background.

You’re lucky if you get a $50 gift card from your grandma, which, to be fair, is still better than nothing.

You Have To Work The Day After Christmas

I mean, I know we have the most important days off (Thanksgiving and Christmas), and if you’re lucky, you get paid for them, too. But, back in the day, you got to wake up the day after and bask in the presence of your new favorite toys.

Now, you have to wake up bright and early (most likely with a hangover, as you're now allowed to drink the holiday wine) and somehow make it into work.

You Now Watch Which Holiday Treats You Eat

Back in the day, you could scarf down literally any and every treat without a care in the world. Chocolate pie and candy canes, with a side of stuffing was literally all I ate during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.

Now, you skim over the side dishes and choose carefully. You have to use portion control or else, you know things, like your spring-break bod, will get out of hand

The Constant Questioning Is Super Annoying

When you were a kid, you used to love bragging about being accepted into National Honor Society. Now, as soon as you hear, “So how is school?” you quickly excuse yourself to the bathroom.

During the holidays, you see every single family member you haven’t seen for a whole year, so they ask questions about literally everything. They assume you’re still with “Crazy Carl,” your ex, who gets brought up all night. By the time the night's over, you just want to ram your head into the pumpkin pie on the table.

You Actually Have To Buy Presents

Of course, buying presents isn’t a bad thing! Everyone loves giving around the holidays — the issue is being able to decipher what to get and whether the recipient will like it.

Your younger siblings and cousins now think that because you have a grown-up job, they can ask for the whole Apple store. Although your parents are modest about what they want, you can assume the same goes for them.

Your Old Fling Calls

Of course, he's assuming you're willing and ready to get down during Thanksgiving break. Hello? It's great to know you’re home and what not, but we were hooking up freshman year of college and it’s now like three years later.

During the holidays, old flings and exes are on the prowl and your number seems to be saved as “Hit Him or Her Up First,” for some reason. Yes, 'tis the season to be giving, but no, I won’t be giving anything to you.

Regardless of holiday hell, it’s still a wonderful time of the year. Happy holidays! I hope everyone eats well and gives wholeheartedly!