Iβm so sorry to all of you who are experience truly sucky times. My heart goes out to all of you and I really miss the hug reaction. So take this as a reaction to many of the posts above:
For those for whom Christmas is a religious celebration, remember that December 25th is the first day of Christmas. The tradition in most western denominations is that December 25 through January 6 (Epiphany/Kingβs Day) is part of that season (i.e. The Twelve Days of Christmas). Additionally, eastern Orthodox Christians often have a different set of dates as well. The idea is to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Earth, and that can happen on any day, not just on 12/25.