Families gather together for the first time in months if not years and old problems are dredged up even as new ones form.
Heart attacks and other stress related illness spike in frequency.
In the northern climes the weather itself becomes dangerous just as everyone is traveling.
Yes indeed any holiday is a cornucopia of conflict factors that make any author giddy with anticipation. It might seems a little mercenary to capitalize on that for writing ideas but if any one asks about the note taking you can just say you are making a list.
#ItsNotAHolidayUntil someone is crying in the gravy.