When Did Christmas Become Oppressive

How did Christmas become such a threat to my finances? Little by little, year by year, I'm expected to spend greater amounts on gifts, like a snake surrounding and threatening me with a body as thick as my arms. I’m powerless to resist social pressures from extended family and friends for more and more gifts, as if cold coils constrict tighter each time I exhale squeezing me, making it difficult to breathe. Spending more than I can afford has brought me to a financial crisis. The snake is killing me, and its beady eyes look into mine with the confidence of a winner. But as I apply for another credit card, it releases its grip and I breathe again.