Depression During the Holidays

There's lots of news articles about how some people are prone to depression during the holidays. Does anyone feel that way? What are your reasons? Here's my story.

When I was little, my parents began to spend time with a particular religious group that taught them that celebrating holidays was wrong. While my family never actually converted and remained at our actual church, they still held on to this belief. It was very awkward during my childhood that we were the only family in our church that didn't celebrate holidays (birthdays, Thanksgiving, and New Years were the only acceptable ones). It didn't help that my dad and brother often lectured people about it and no one agreed with them. I was often silenced by my parents whenever I asked them why we didn't celebrate. Over the years, my mom loosened up and went back to putting up some Christmas decorations. However, my dad continues to forbid trees trees in our house. One year, my dad actually scolded my BF and I for buying him a gift.

So long story short, the holidays (especially Christmas) make depressed because they are a reminder of what I didn't have as a kid and how much of an outcast I was.