You endured Black Friday. You survived the pepper spray and the taser guns. You may have even nabbed an awesome bargain or decided to cut back a bit this season because of the grim economy.
But it's not even December yet. There's still a lot of misery left to endure.
At least that's the take of the venerable Consumer Reports, which asked its readers what they dread most about the holiday season.
Most of the top stress-inducing fears are obvious:
- 68 percent of the respondents dread crowds and long lines
- 37 percent fear gaining weight
- 37 percent fear going into debt.
But No. 10 on the list is a bit of a surprise. According to the survey, 15 percent dread the notion of "having to be nice." Yep, the idea of a forced smile and a "Have a nice day!" is just too much for some Americans. And nearly a quarter of those surveyed (23 percent) just can't stand Christmas music. The Grinch would be so proud.
"For all the chatter about nostalgia, family fun and gift giving this time of year, many people don't like too much of a good thing," said Tod Marks, senior editor at Consumer Reports.
"This commercial overindulgence wears on most of us," Marks said. "The long season appears to sour teh Tiny Tim in all of us."
The poll's results of the survey were based on a nationally representative telephone survey of 1,013 adults.
For the full list, see the story here
What are you dreading most this season? (Be civil, folks.)