Posted by Almarah Belk, DCoE Public Affairs on November 25, 2014
National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2)
In the holiday comedy movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” Clark Griswold (played by actor Chevy Chase) wants a perfect family Christmas; however, things go awry quickly.
We think movies like this are funny because most of us can relate to the tales of holiday stress (aka holiday traditions) as spun on our viewing screens. Most of us have had something go wrong during a holiday gathering, particularly during a family holiday gathering.
“You set standards that no family can live up to.” – Ellen Griswold
Webster’s dictionary defines “holiday” as a special day of celebration... a day when most people do not have to work… as a period of relief.
No work? Relief? In reality, and in quite a contrast from the traditional definition, we’ve come to view the holidays – basically the time between mid-November to mid-January – as a period of great stress and anxiety with more work to be done.