The morning after Halloween is when it ultimately starts; it’s the start of the true fall season. Leaves are falling, cinnamon sugar candles are burning and chunky sweaters are back in style. What a time to be alive. These few characteristics can only mean one thing -- the holidays are coming. Not only are the holidays a time to relax, enjoy time with family, celebrate and be thankful for everything in your life. But the holidays are also a time filled with stress, anxiety and drama. From muddling through finals week to scrounging up pennies to buy someone a holiday gift, these are some of the tragic things that truly damper our holiday spirit.
1. Being Broke
Nothing sucks more than not being able to afford the seasonal drinks at Starbucks. As college students, that’s how we can determine our financial status. The important question is, “ Should I buy a pumpkin spice latte or to not?” Sooner than later, Black Friday rolls around and you won’t even be able to walk into a single store. The reality of it all is that you won’t be able to buy yourself or anyone else anything for the holidays. It sucks and as a result, you force yourself into taking any part time holiday job you can possibly get.
2. Finals
Do I have to say more? Finals can’t come at a more perfect time -- right after Thanksgiving and right before Christmas. Shit gets incredibly real at the worst time possible. It’s hard to manage our studies with our eating habits, our short travels and our holiday spirit. Finals sucks the holiday spirit right out of everyone. Instead of going ice skating in Bryant Park, we’ve come to realization that we’ll have to submit our lives to the cubicles in the Toby Cooperman library.
3. Drama
It seems to happen right before Thanksgiving. Whether it's a fight between family members, friends or your significant other, there will ultimately be some divide when everyone is preparing to get together. Aside from the other holiday stresses, this one hurts the most. No matter what it always hurts to end on a bad note with anyone. But during a time in which everyone is supposed to be spending time with each other, it especially hurts the most. It hurts to not be on the same page as the other person. You may end off on an awkward fight and refuse to spend the upcoming holidays together. Whatever the case may be, creating drama with the important people in your life affects how we view the holidays. Instead of being excited to spend time with each other, we no longer are or we might not even spend time with each other.
These are just a few things that completely stress us out. It may ruin our holiday spirit and suck the fun out of everything, but just like everything else, we have to cope. Whatever holiday it may be, simply enjoy it.
