BackFire
Blood. It's nature's lube
Doesn't happen to me, thankfully. I love Christmas time.
Though you're right, many MANY people do get dangerously depressed around this time of year. It may be a multitude of factors. They see commercials promoting the cliched family unit, or the "happy couple" thing, and they may get depressed that they don't have that. They also see happy families on the street, decorating their house, buying christmas trees, which could also contribute to their desire to have that.
They may think back upon better times, during their childhood or whatnot, when they did have better relationships and how fun this time of year used to be for them, which could make it even more devistating.
It may also have to do with the cold, gloomy weather of the time of year. But I think it's more or less just people who don't have the type of family that is advertised, don't have the good, loving relationships that everyone else seems to have at this time of year, and that just gets to them.
I personally love the holidays. I love the atmosphere, the weather, I love helping my mom decorate the house for xmas, I love driving around at night and seeing other houses decorated. I love sitting in the family room with a bright, beautiful xmas tree, and of course, in my own, personal tradition, I love watching A Christmas Story several times on TV on Christmas eve, and I enjoy watching the other Christmas specials. I pity those who don't have it good this time of year, who don't have the loving family that they probably wish they had, and that is shoved down their throat constantly around this time. It's a shame that they've lost the ability to see the beauty in the world around them during this time of year, and I hope at some point in the future they find happiness.