Most people love the Christmas season. Everything seems better during this time. It's Christmas, so something is going right, and we all know the process of this wonderful holiday season.
Stage 1:
Immediately after Thanksgiving, Christmas music starts blasting everywhere and decorations are up before you can even finish Thanksgiving leftovers. Poor Thanksgiving – it never gets the recognition it deserves when it stands so close to Christmas. In the grand scheme of the Christmas season, Thanksgiving is the ugly stepsister.
Stage 2:
You’re still in school. Nothing is worse than sitting in the last few days of classes, making study guides and attempting to study for finals when it’s the Christmas season. You would rather be the Grinch’s dog than study. However, you attempt to keep the Christmas spirit alive by listening to every Christmas Pandora station and taking many study breaks to watch Christmas movies.
Stage 3:
You are finally home! No school. No homework. No stress. All you have to worry about now is gift shopping and making sure your bank account does not go into the negatives. It is time to beg your boss from the summer to give you a temporary position! In the meantime, you blast your Christmas music through the house, bake cookies (if you’re not too lazy), decorate the house (once again – if you’re not too lazy), and watch marathons of Christmas movies with a hot beverage (you’re definitely not too lazy for this one).
Stage 4:
It’s finally actually Christmas day. Prepare yourself for lots of food and plenty of family time. However, this is the peak of the Christmas season. There is nothing but Christmas music, baked goods, and gifts galore. I am pretty positive that it is impossible to have true negative feelings on this day. Even the Grinch was not negative on this day. Cherish this part of the Christmas season, because it is all downhill from here.
Stage 5:
The letdown. Nothing is worse than the Christmas letdown. There is an abundant amount of torn wrapping paper and the only family member that enjoys that is the dog who chews it up and plays with it until it is no longer enticing to them. Christmas music is still playing, but there is a sadness about it. The long awaited day is over. Maybe if you exchange gifts you don’t like, it will still feel like there is something to look forward to? You come to the conclusion that you should become Jewish because there can’t possibly be a letdown for an eight-day celebration, can there? What is there to look forward to, now?
Hold up, we still have New Year’s Eve, my friends.
