Entertainment

40 Ways 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' Sums Up the Horror of the Holidays

EntertainmentPublished Oct 12, 2018
By Samantha Sutton
The Nightmare Before ChristmasThe Nightmare Before Christmas/Facebook

Sure, it may only be October, but once we're done worrying about everything Halloween (scary movies included) and November 1 finally rolls around? We'll be at the start of the "holiday season," complete with all of the Hallmark Christmas movies our hearts can take. It tends to come on quick these days, and we're predicting that it's only a matter of time before we walk into a store and come face-to-face with strands of tinsel, surrounded by green and red ... everything -- assuming that hasn't already happened. Yep, somewhere out there, we know someone's already listening to "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and is getting ready to dust off decorations that have been in storage for the past year. To those people, we have one thing to say: Is it too much to just wait a second?
We mean that in the nicest way, of course, simply because we know the holidays come with their own set of stressors. All the cooking we'll have to do. The presents we'll have to buy and then wait to be delivered. The extended family we'll have to travel to see -- or host.

Thinking about it all, there's really no better way to sum up our feelings than with scenes from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Yes, we're talking about the Halloween (err, holiday?) movie, because believe it or not, it can be pretty darn relatable at times. Picture this: Jack Skellington trying to take charge and delegate tasks, all in an attempt to make this holiday perfect -- only to realize that nothing is going according to plan, and it's actually a disaster?

Needless to say, as moms, this story really speaks to us.

It's hard to believe The Nightmare Before Christmas is celebrating its 25th anniversary. (Yeah, we're getting old.) It's even crazy to think the movie portrays real-life horrors that the holidays bring in the eeriest and most accurate of ways. So without further adieu, here are some ways The Nightmare Before Christmas sums up the horrors of the holidays.

1/40

Putting On a Fake Smile & Pretending to Be Jolly All the Time

Yes, everyone, please give us a rundown of what y'all have been up to for the past year. It's not like we haven't seen it on Instagram or anything.

2/40

The Hassle of Putting Up Decorations

Why is there always that one light that doesn't know how to do its job?

3/40

Trying to Decide Who to Get Presents For

So our friend's cousin's son is coming to dinner, but does he need a gift?

4/40

Buying Presents for That Hard-To-Buy-For Person

Gift cards it is, then...

5/40

How It Goes From Halloween to the Winter Holidays Too Quickly

What do stores have against Thanksgiving? Can we just pause for a second?

6/40

Inescapable Decorations ... Everywhere!

We're predicting some of them will stay up until March, too.

(Don't act like we're lying.)

7/40

Oh Great, Snow ...

RIP warm weather. We miss you dearly.

(*Sob*)

8/40

Constantly Reminding Everyone About the True Meaning of the Season

Spoiler alert: it's not about the presents!

Please put this on repeat and tell a friend ... or five.

9/40

Bedtime? What Bedtime?

Welcome to nights frantically online shopping for that toy LO decided he or she really, really wanted, like, yesterday.

10/40

Turning Santa Into a Bad Guy

"Listen, Santa is watching! I'm going to call him right now and tell about a certain someone's bad behavior until it gets changed ASAP."

11/40

Feeling Like Everyone Else's Family Looks Happier Than Our Own

We know everyone posts the highlight reel on Instagram, but they seem to have a lot of highlights!

12/40

Two Words: Crafting Mishaps

This cotton ball snowman looks nothing like one in the tutorial. It doesn't even look related to the one in the tutorial.

13/40

All the Crowds

OK, forget running to the store to get one thing. We can live without it. We don't really need coffee, right?

14/40

The Stress of Delegating

We admit we can't do it all on our own, but ... what if they mess up?!

15/40

Feeling Like Time Is Running Out

We have just as many hours in a day as Beyonce, but Beyonce also has a team of people.

16/40

The Never-Ending Need for Wine

Ugh, this ... times 10.

(Especially when family comes to visit.)

17/40

Rereading the Same Stories Over & Over Again

The best (and worst!) part about the Christmas story classics? They never change -- and we're forced to watch them be interpreted by every TV show, too!

18/40

Holiday Songs ... On Repeat ... Even When There's No Music!

Please excuse us while we hum "Jingle Bells" at our desk, in the store, and walking down the street. It refuses to leave our heads.

19/40

Attempting to Take That Perfect Holiday Photo

Can everyone just smile in their perfectly coordinated outfits, please?

K, thanks.

20/40

The Anxiety That Comes With Hosting a Holiday Dinner

Do we have enough chairs? Who's actually coming? Are they bringing wine (please say yes)?

21/40

Cooking, Baking, & Cooking Some More

Thanks to all these potlucks on the calendar from now until New Year, the kitchen is our home now.

22/40

Discovering What's Actually in the Candies & Cookies We Just Ate

Trying to count calories this time of year?

Bah humbug.

Nothing counts for the next few weeks. We'll eat healthy again starting January 1.

23/40

Having to Remind Everyone to Stop Touching the Tree

Leave the ornaments alone! Get the cat out of there!

Oh, the joys of having a Christmas tree.

24/40

All the Places We Have to Go

On top of getting on with everyday life, everyone's having a party, we still need to go to the grocery store, take a quick trip to the mall, etc.

25/40

Realizing We Probably Aren't Going to Make Every Holiday Event

On second thought, we'll just see everyone next year.

This is #toomuch.

26/40

Being Forced to Make Small Talk With Distant Relatives & Old Friends

Please, let's just avoid chatting about current events, OK?

27/40

Realizing We're Probably Not Being as Jolly as We Should Be

If it's the most wonderful time of the year, then why does it feel so stressful?!

28/40

Reminding Our Kids That It *Isn't* Time to Open Presents

Ah, yes. This one will be an ongoing battle trying to negotiate with kids who really don't give a flip what day the calendar says it is.

29/40

When Nothing Is Going According to Plan

Every year is a near-disaster.

God help us all.

30/40

The Horror of Sitting Kids on the Lap of a Strange Man in a Red Suit

To be honest, we'd be crying, too.

(It is kinda weird when we think about it.)

31/40

Constantly Wondering What We're Forgetting

... or what we're even doing.

Heaven knows mom brain is too real any time of year -- especially during the holidays.

32/40

All the Sneaking Around

Don't open that box! Don't go in that closet! There's nothing in there!

We're not even going to touch that evil Elf on a Shelf we always forget to hide (LOL).

33/40

Really Needing a Nap

More so than usual. Please, can this be our holiday present?

34/40

Not Understanding How Some Toys Are Big Deals

This is what they want? This is what's sold out?!

Kids are always begging for some toy, and sometimes, we just don't get it.

35/40

Waiting for Packages to Arrive ... On Time

Why does tracking information always say packages "arrived" when they haven't?

36/40

Not Getting the Credit We Deserve

Who spent days searching for that gift, then waited for it to arrive from across the country, and wrapped it in this adorable paper?

Santa? Nope, don't think so.

37/40

Being Unable to Tell What Certain Reactions Mean

Do they like the gifts the receive, our food, and the decorations we put up? ... Or don't they?

That face is so confusing.

38/40

Feeling Overwhelmed by All the ... Stuff

Toys everywhere. Clothes no one actually needed. We'll be here, organizing for the next few years.

39/40

Receiving Bad Presents

OK, it's not about the presents, but is this what people really thought we wanted?

Um, thanks??

40/40

The Hassle of Gift Exchanges

This is why we said gift cards!

(The lines are truly a killer.)

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