The holidays can be an emotional time. Some people wish they could go back home but can’t afford it, while others get to spend time with their families but hate every minute of it. Many families enjoy each other’s company at Christmas time and have lots of fun traditions they share together. Singing carols, decorating the Christmas tree, baking cookies, and watching classic movies fill December with love and fun. Others simply do not get along and fight the whole holiday season. This list is full of people who wish they were not forced to spend the holidays with people they hate. They definitely do not believe that blood is thicker than water! Some are young and still in university, which often gives them no choice but to spend Christmas at their parents’ home. Others know that if they did not show up around the holidays, there would be even more drama than there already is when they spend time with their families. From small annoyances like playing music they hate to major problems like abuse, these people wish they could spend the Christmas season anywhere else but with their families. Keep reading for 15 confessors who regret going back home for the holidays!

15. Escaping Dad

Once you move out of your parents’ house, you realize just how much you agree or disagree with their lifestyle. For those fortunate people, this usually just means you have different daily schedules or ways of doing things. But for this brave person, they actually escaped an abusive situation. No one should ever be forced to spend time with someone who has abused them, no matter how closely they are related. This confession makes me wonder if no one else in the family knows about the abuse and could help them. We should hope that they have a safe holiday!

14. Commitment-Phobe

Getting together with family you have not seen in a while always leads to awkward questions. Sometimes it is about a partner, or having kids, or getting a job. It seems like older relatives have no shame about the nosy questions they ask! For this poor girl, she is forced to remember just how much of a commitment-phobe her boyfriend is every holiday. She probably really loves him but might want to rethink the relationship. If they have been together for years, and he won’t even call her his girlfriend, it might be time to move on to someone who is ready for the next step.

13. Not So Merry Music

There are two types of people in this world. The first type loves Christmas music and would listen to it all year long if they could. The second type, like this confessor, hates it and avoids it even at the holiday season. It might be that they don’t feel merry so they don’t want to be forced to hear super happy holiday tunes. Or they may simply dislike hearing the same songs over and over year after year. No matter the reason, this person is being driven up a wall by their family’s music choices during their time at home.

12. Not Alone But Lonely

An unfortunate kind of family is the type that does not pay attention to you, especially during the festive season. When you have been away on a trip or at college for a while, you expect at least some extra attention from your parents. This poor person sadly got the opposite treatment. They took the time, effort, and money to go home for the holidays, only to be totally ignored and not included in the family rituals. They might as well have just stayed at their own house! Hopefully their family comes around and gives them the fun holiday they deserve.

11. Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic

Wow, this person has a lot of drama to deal with! When they are home for the holidays, it sounds like merry and bright are the furthest things from their Christmas experience. Having a family that is rude and does not appreciate you is one thing. But having to deal with your ex’s nosy family is extra terrible. Anyone who shames you about breaking off an abusive relationship is clearly not worth your time or thoughts. Maybe next year this person should spend their holiday season away from their hometown. Even if they are alone, it has to be better than dealing with so much toxicity.

10. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

It is hard to say which is worse. Being single and having people ask when you are going to find a partner or having a crazy ex your family will not stop talking about. Clearly this guy’s ex-girlfriend made quite the impression on his family and from his mom’s comment, it does not seem to have been a positive one. This family probably thinks they are just being protective by expressing their disapproval, but it comes out as kind of rude. A simple “Christmas is better without her” would have been sufficient and would not have made this confessor feel like such a dope.

9. Food, Glorious Food

There is a lot to unravel here. This person obviously needs to seek help for an eating disorder if they are not eating regularly. On the other hand, anyone who has a mom (or grandma, or aunt) knows that coming home means eating yourself silly. The holidays are especially bad for fattening up with yummy meats, carb-heavy sides, rich desserts, and lots of sweets! The mom should be more understanding and avoid force feeding this person, but the confessor should talk to someone about their problem. Being around tons of food and food related traditions can’t be easy for someone with an eating disorder!

8. Keep It Gay

When relatives ask why you are still single during the holidays, coming up with an answer can seem impossible. How do you express how uncomfortable you are with the question without sounding as rude as them? Even worse than old relatives asking about a significant other are younger siblings. Kids do not realize how being an adult works yet, so they are extra pushy and blunt. Add in being gay to the mix and you are in for a super awkward holiday! Whether this person’s family knows their sexuality or not, talking about searching for a partner is never easy.

7. Christmas Catastrophe

Not being able to go home for the holidays when you miss your family is super sad. Perhaps even sadder is when you are forced to spend what is supposed to be a festive time of year with toxic people. This poor confessor’s family is full of drama and definitely does not fill their home with a feeling of good cheer. The fact that they have never had a happy Christmas and that the holiday actually fills them with dread is so upsetting. Their family should work to put their differences aside and enjoy each other while they still can!

6. Holiday Hook-Up

Hooking up with people while you are home for the holidays is almost inevitable. You are back with people who you have a past with. You are probably bored during the day without work to do. It is only natural to find a way to keep warm and “reconnect” with people. However, this person took it too far. Getting intimate with an older person is nothing to be ashamed about. But when it is a friend’s family member, you will probably have to see them a lot! That just leads to awkward interactions. Do yourself a favor and stick to high school classmates you find on Tinder.

5. Netflix and Chill

Let’s be honest: who wouldn’t rather watch Netflix alone than do basically anything? But this person seems pretty serious. They want to spend some time by themselves doing as little as possible this holiday season. It is their time off and they want to spend it in a chill way that makes them happy. Instead, they are forced to spend time back home with their family. No matter how much you like your family, spending 24 hours a day with them can get a little tiring and annoying after a while. They should suggest a Netflix Christmas movie night with their loved ones to connect the two!

4. Not At Home When They’re Home

This person is experiencing a unique situation. Sometimes after the kids grow up and move out, parents live out their ultimate dreams. From buying a boat to purchasing a lake house to going on amazing vacations, it is their turn to do things their way. This also often means moving away to cool new city they always wanted to live in, stranding their family back home. This confessor enjoys seeing their family during the holidays, but never feels like “going home” really means what it says. Instead, they are simply visiting their mid-life crisis parents at their home over Christmas.

3. Unwelcome Home

When you do not want to hang out with your family over the holiday season, it gives you a sort of power. They want to see you but you don’t want to see them, so you are in the emotional driver’s seat. But when you actually desire to spend time with your family and they want nothing to do with you, it can be devastating. Feeling unwanted, especially during Christmas time and especially by the people who are supposed to love you the most, is one of the worst feelings in the world. This person needs to find a new “family” of friends who appreciate them.

2. Nothing Ever Changes

Anyone who has spend a lot of time abroad knows that it changes you. Seeing the world and enjoying new experiences helps you learn a lot about yourself and your view of the world. So when you return home and nothing has changed, especially if your family is toxic, it can be frustrating. This person was hoping that while they were off finding themselves, their family would too. Wrong! Maybe since they are more worldly now, they will find the courage to confront their family. Or at least find a better place to move to away from all the chaos and drama!

1. Wine Not?

Moving out of your childhood home makes you realize a lot about yourself. Without the rules your parents made you follow, you can figure out what kind of lifestyle and schedule is right for you. That is why spending time home for the holidays feels so frustrating to many people. You had your freedom, but now you are forced to once again follow the house rules like you’re a kid. This confessor learned that lots of wine helps, though. While it is not the healthiest way to cope, it sure beats screaming at your family and starting drama during the most wonderful time of the year.