With Thanksgiving and Christmas quickly approaching, the holiday spirit is continuing to rise as people get ready for the most wonderful time of the year. Anyone who is undoubtedly obsessed with the holidays knows there are a few in-and-outs that make November and December so stinkin' spectacular. If you're a newcomer to the advent of "holiday insanity," let me lay out a few ground rules that might help you along. And, for those of us who might as well be living at the North Pole with eight tiny reindeer and a few thousand elves: these are the commandments we follow religiously because Old St. Nick carved them into the ice himself.

1. Thou shalt listen to Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" everyday from November 1st to January 1st.

2. Thou shalt attend a minimum of 3 ugly Christmas sweater parties.

3. Thou shalt own a minimum of 4 ugly Christmas sweaters (preferably with flashing lights and jingle bells).

4. Thou shalt watch every show on Freeform's (i.e. ABC Family) 25 Days of Christmas.

5. Thou shalt build at least one Gingerbread house and eat it in its entirety.

6. Thou shalt go ice skating with thy loved one.

7. Thou shalt go Black Friday shopping even if it is 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Thursday.

8. Thou shalt make a Christmas List even if thou is 18+ years old.

9. Thou shalt never question the existence of Santa, no matter the circumstances (and still put out cookies).

10. Thou shalt have visions of sugarplums dancing in thou heads.

11. Thou shalt have a minimum of 5 and no maximum of Christmas trees in thy house.

12. Thou shalt drink hot chocolate with every meal.

13. Thou shalt watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

14. Thou shalt cry whenever Santa signals the beginning of the Christmas season on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

15. Thou shalt visit an overly eccentric Christmas lighting display.

16. Thou shalt display thy own overly eccentric Christmas Light Display (the more National Lampoon-ish, the better).

17. Thou shalt go caroling with thy friends and family or listen to carolers with thy friends and family.

18. Thou shalt go Christmas shopping even if thy funds beg thy not to.

19. Thou shalt watch every claymation Christmas special ever produced.

20. Thou shalt dress thy pet in a Mrs. Claus, Santa Claus, Elf or reindeer costume.

21. Thou shalt wear only red and green for the next two months.

22. Thou shalt listen to Christmas music anywhere it is appropriate.

23. Thou shalt have a minimum of 15 paper cuts from the continuation of wrapping presents.

24. Thou shalt actually be thankful on Thanksgiving.

25. Thou shalt scream and dance because...

THE HOLIDAY SEASON HAS ARRIVED!