1. Christmas is over.
Obviously, the first realization is that all the excitement that's been building since before Thanksgiving just ends abruptly. There is nothing left to look forward to. That's it. It's over.
2. Starbucks coffee cups are going back to the bland white color.
There is no more Christmas spirit coming from my spiced gingerbread latte. Coffee is plain without hints of spices that make you think of Christmas morning and Santa.
3. I'm broke.
All those Christmas gifts sure did make my friends and family smile, but every penny I saved up throughout the semester tutoring freshmen is gone. Now I have to get a real job. Great.
4. Christmas cookies are no longer socially acceptable for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If there were gingerbread men in my kitchen, those were my meals. People always say, "It's the holidays, enjoy yourself." But now, there's no excuse. You have to eat better. It's back to juicing and kale salads. Woo-hoo.
5. I'm going to die alone.
Dealing with perfect couples and their impromptu engagements on Christmas Eve that floods your Instagram feed is a little more tolerable when you have Christmas to distract you. But with Christmas being over, there is no distraction of the fact that you are alone and have no one to drink hot cocoa with all snuggled up next to a fireplace. Maybe next year.
6. I don't look good in Santa hats.
After all the ugly sweater parties I went to, I never got a cliche, glowing picture of me wearing one with a Santa hat while showing off my Christmas spirit. There's nothing glamorous about wearing a Santa hat. It makes my hair an untamed creature. The frizz, the static electricity - it's a recipe for disaster.
7. Taking ornaments off the tree just isn't as fun as putting them on.
One by one, your childhood memories and cherished ornaments that frame your favorite things come off the tree and into their boxes to be put away and forgotten until next Christmas season. What a shame.
8. Everyone gets SAD.
By sad, I mean it both ways. Teary-eyed and upset about where you are in life, but also Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's a thing. It's a legitimate depression that has to do with changes in season. People get moody. Christmas creates an incredible cheer in all of us, and once it's over, it seems as though there's nothing to be happy about.
9. Michael Bublé's Christmas Album has to be put away until next year.
That godly voice of his can no longer serenade me in my car. It's simply unheard of to listen to Christmas music from the months of January - October. You just don't do it.
10. At least I have New Year's Eve.
One last big night to celebrate the holiday season. But after this, it'll take me a month to recover. January will really be the end of me.
