Festive celebrations are meant to bring people together, but the pressure to impress, maintain appearances and meet social expectations can often take away from the joy of the season. From picture-perfect homes and elaborate meals to expensive gifts and carefully curated social media posts, celebrations are increasingly becoming about appearances rather than meaningful connections.
“While social media , especially Instagram, didn’t create this pressure, it certainly amplified it. Every shared reel shows flawlessly orchestrated celebrations, all beautifully captured and neatly edited. It’s disheartening to compare your real-life experiences with someone else’s highlight reel,” she explains. “And usually, there’s a specific person, most often a woman, who bears the weight of these expectations. She takes on the planning, cooking, and all the behind-the-scenes work to ensure that every guest feels welcome while trying not to leave anyone out. Beyond the emotional pressure, festive celebrations can place a considerable strain on household budgets. “There’s often a hidden financial burden tied to the festivities. The gifts, the clothes, the hosting, everything is brushed off as ‘tradition,’ even if it stretches the budget. Everyone smiles and nods, as discussing money might dampen the festive mood,” she adds. Instead, it involves making conscious choices about how to spend time, money and emotional energy.
It goes unnoticed as a full-time job, even though it happens year after year,” Sharma says. Enjoying the festive season does not require withdrawing from celebrations altogether, according to Sangeeta.
Rarely do we see the exhaustion behind the scenes, the arguments that occurred just before the camera clicked, or the budget that was stretched too thin.
“It seems like somewhere along the line, our festive holidays turned into a competitive event instead of a joyful celebration. Now, there’s this underlying tension where people think about what other people will think. That single question drives the holiday choices we make, from how much we spend to how we decorate our homes, what we wear, and who we invite. It feels like it’s no longer about sincere enjoyment, but about looking a little better than the neighbour, the cousin, or the colleague. Everyone wants to shine a bit brighter in group photos, and that’s really not what holiday cheer is about. The pressure to make every celebration look perfect can extend to almost every aspect of hosting. Homes are expected to look immaculate, gifts must be impressive, and food must be plentiful enough to satisfy every guest.
This has become more about showing off than celebrating,” says Sangeeta.
