Most disliked Christmas tasks

Christmas is a time for joy, peace and giving but, for many, it is also a time for a lot of work. Cleaning, decorating, cooking, shopping – it is a busy and sometimes stressful time for many people.

Sunday Newsday did an online survey to determine the most disliked Christmas tasks people endure during the holidays.

The most unpopular culprit seems to be the putting up and taking down of decorations, with washing windows, especially louvers, running a close second. But baking and cooking, along with washing the resulting “thousands of pot and dishes,” dusting, and changing curtains were also on the list.

Some people expressed a true disgust for dust, while others said the mental work of coordinating and executing everything was overwhelming and unappreciated. One man said he was annoyed by the “whole excess vibe” of eating, drinking and spending too much money and, being generous to the unfortunate in a showy way.

Here are some of the responses to the survey.

Sunita Maharaj, Chaguanas:

Curtains. I have childhood Christmas curtain trauma from being dragged from one store to the next by my mother and aunt in the middle of old-school Chaguanas. The endless designs, the colours, the crowds, the bargain hunting... when all I wanted to do was eat a slice of pizza and drink a coke at Pizza Boys. This is the reason after I got married I put blinds in my house.

Peter Darmanie, Arima:

I hate having to change curtains. Because I don’t want to and I’m usually forced to by some woman who just don’t want to see me sit down.

Melissa Ali, Michigan, USA:

I don’t like the mess and work of baking treats and cookies! I also don’t enjoy putting up and especially taking down outdoor lights, especially as it’s freezing here.

Paula Lindo, Curepe:

Untangling and dusting lights and replacing bulbs, then putting them up.

They’re always mightily tangled no matter how carefully you put them away, tedious to dust, something’s always not working and then climbing around to put them up is a pain.

Marilyn Podmore, Petit Valley:

Putting up and taking down the Christmas tree. It’s itchy and time consuming.

Priya Ganness, Point Fortin:

Cleaning louvres because I cut and scratched my wrists many times while doing it as a child.

Keston Mahabir, Cumuto:

I hate cleaning and painting French windows. By the time you tape off all the glass and paint, you then have to strip of all that tape slowly to not tear off the paint. It sucks!

Leiselle Donald, Atlanta, USA:

When we were younger, having to clean the cabinets with all the little knick knacks that were hardly used. They were just there gathering dust that we had to wash off and wipe down every year then put them back to collect more dust. A very pointless pursuit.

Renata Salvatori-Marshall, Ontario, Canada:

Moving the mess from one room to another as the previous rooms get decked out until the last room is a colossal disaster and then I have to figure out what to do with all the items accumulated in said room.

Orin Gordon, Chaguanas:

Cooking dishes, like Guyanese pepperpot, that I would not at any other time of the year. Pepperpot is a difficult and labour intensive dish that only mama or big sister can do properly. I’ve done it with the aid of YouTube and WhatsApp videos and I’ve needed a good lie down afterwards. I don’t know how moms cope with the volume of Christmas cooking.