There are so many things right about the holiday. And then, there are just as many things wrong about them as well. Judging by the number of posts I’ve seen on this topic alone, I can see that I’m not the only one who’s of the opinion that some traditions are better off not existing because they make no sense.
You see, many of them are not traditions per se. It’s not like they were handed down to us from our ancestors or anything. It’s just something that people did and over time, it became a norm and now it seems that if you don’t do it as well, then you’ve got a serious problem.
And I have a series of things I can talk about that buttresses that point. But, many writers have touched on those as well. So, I’ll focus on one that no one has touched on just yet. And that is the idea that when people are coming home for the holidays, they’re coming with boatloads of money and as such should be generous!
The people who suffer from this are mostly those who live and work abroad, and many of them refuse to come back home because they know the bill that is waiting for them the minute they do. And this billing is not by their immediate family, but by cousins and aunts and Uncles who have probably not even given them a thought all through the year. But come holiday time, they suddenly remember that such a person exists and they believe it would be a good idea to ask them for money.
I think what snowballed into this is actually the good act of people coming home. As tradition demands, you don’t just come back from a trip empty-handed. Even if it’s a loaf of bread, you have to come with something. At least it shows that whatever you went for was not a total failure. It can also be seen as a sign that at the very least, some things went right for you.
But then, people have taken it and turned it into something else. When you come back, either from abroad or anywhere that you’re working and living, everyone expects you to have lots of money. So, they ask you to buy them phones and computers, fix their cars, patch their leaky roof, and tile their floors. All because you decided to come back. Meanwhile, your immediate family is still there and you’d very much love to give them a good time as well.
And then, if you’re unable to see to these needs meted out to you, you could be seen as stingy and uncaring. They believe that since you’re out there working and making money, you should have a lot of it. They conveniently forget life itself costs to live. You have to eat, you have to pay bills and you also have to support your family. But to these guys, all these are nothing but excuses. As long as you’re not doing what they want, then you’re wicked! Period!!
So, this is something I would very much like to stop. People need to be able to come home without being scared of getting hit by unwanted bills. If you have, then you can help. But even at that, you can’t help everyone who comes to you, no matter how much you have. So, decide who you really want to help, and don’t let what they say about you matter. Don’t be pressured into doing things you’ll regret. Because the holidays are only for two weeks, but if you make a terrible financial decision then, you could regret it for the next 365 days of the new year.
This is why we have to be wise. Even as we’re helping, we must not go broke and become destitute because those who we brought ourselves down to help will not even lift a finger to help us back up. So, be wise!
