3 Things Most People Don’t Like About December
It’s a few days to Christmas, and despite everything happening, I am looking forward to being with family for the holidays. December is most people’s favourite time of the year outside their birth month. However, due to the holidays and the different events taking place during this period, December tends to come with its own bag of stress. Things can be a little extra stressful compared to other months. I had the opportunity of asking some people what they don’t like about December, and these three things stood out for me.
Christmas Shopping
The markets seem to get really crowded during this time of the year. This is because everyone is out there trying to grab supplies for the holidays, from buying nice clothes for the kids to buying food items for cooking. Prices of most things go up due to the high demand for these goods at this time. Someone lamented to me that when she asks the vendors why things are so high, the default reply is, “madam na December we dey”. Also, walking under the scorching sun in crowded markets with no form of social distancing is one part of shopping most people won’t mind skipping.
Busy Roads/Heavy Traffic
Getting to your destination during the month of December usually takes longer than other times of the year. This is mainly due to the fact that most people come into town to spend the holidays with friends and family members. Also, people from abroad, popularly known as “IJGBs” come into town during this holiday season for “detty December” and other yuletide activities.
With the number of events going on during this period, it also heavily impacts the traffic situation. A delivery man in Lagos complained of how he finds it difficult to move supplies across town even with his bike. This can be really stressful for those trying to go about their normal business during the celebration season.
Christmas Cooking
The Christmas meal is not a normal meal. From the killing of the chicken, mixing and frying the chin-chin, and grating the carrot and cabbage, among other things, can be as stressful as Christmas shopping. Christmas cooking can be really demanding, considering the number of people back home for the holidays. When you can, it will be nice to give a helping hand to the main people taking on this daunting task.
In as much as we face these challenges during the December period, many people still look forward to the month of celebration. The main activities of being around loved ones seem to overshadow any stress/problem that may arise.
COVID-19 is very much in the air, but people won’t postpone their December Christmas plans. As you go around shopping, eating and meeting up with friends, try as much as possible to practice social distancing. Wear a mask and encourage others to do so too.
