The holiday season is stressful enough without New Year’s resolutions and party planning. However, the last week of every year and the first week of the year following have become weeks of extra anxiety. Because of this, New Year’s Eve has become my least favorite holiday. As a kid, I loved it. The lights, the colors, the music. It was all so magical. As I’ve grown up, the night has turned into a stressful few hours of trying to impress others and it never lives up to my expectations. These are a few of the reasons why New Year’s Eve has become my least favorite holiday:
1. The Planning
Planning for New Year’s Eve can be a nightmare. Between trying to bring together friend groups and attempting to keep everyone happy, the party planner definitely picked the short end of the stick. Not to mention the ordeal of trying to send out invites before everyone else. Even if you’re not planning the party, trying to juggle each person and every event that night can take a toll.
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2. Your Expectations
In our minds, New Year’s Eve is a night where you get a magical kiss at midnight, you party it up with your friends, and the slate gets wiped clean. In reality, it’s hard to make New Year’s Eve a perfect night without days of planning and shopping. A lot of us are let down by how the night turns out because we’ve been expecting *magic* for weeks. The scenario of a perfect New Year’s Eve has played out time and time again in our minds, but the night never ends up the way we’ve imagined.
3. Everyone Else’s Expectations
On New Year’s Eve, guests are expected to show up looking and feeling their best. While sparkles, sequins, and jewels are the conventional attire for New Year’s Eve parties, finding the right outfit can be a hassle. Not to mention, everyone is expected to be happy and excited for the new year, but we all know that New Year’s Eve night always brings some sort of drama. Everyone is expecting their own perfect night, but since no one is willing to compromise their ideal image of New Year’s Eve, how can the night turn out perfect for everyone?
4. The Hype
Similar to your expectations, New Year’s Eve is hyped up for months beforehand. News Channels talk about New Year’s resolutions, the Times Square ball is a constant topic of conversation, and everyone is trying to tie up loose ends before the year is over. While New Year’s Eve is supposed to be a magical night, it ends up being a night like any other.
5. “One-Upping”
While this is one of my daily pet peeves, it is especially annoying on New Year’s Eve. Everyone is trying to one up each other with their party, their dress, their date. What people forget is that New Year’s Eve is about bettering yourself, not trying to make others jealous. While you may be excited about where you’re going and with whom, boasting about it will only make others upset or, in most cases, annoyed.
6. The Forgotten Meaning
New Year’s Eve is a time for family, friends, rebirth, and a fresh start. Parties, clubs, and crazy nights can overshadow this meaning and make people forget why they’re celebrating the new calendar year in the first place. Personally, I know some people that think being seen at the hottest party in the hottest dress is what New Year’s Eve is all about. While that might be how they feel, New Year’s Eve is supposed to be spent with people you love and care about.
7. New Year’s Resolutions
As I mentioned earlier, New Year’s resolutions are aggravating. Because people share their New Year’s resolutions with friends and family, these self-promises run people’s lives for the first few months of the new year. Most people’s resolutions are related to losing weight, leading a healthier lifestyle, and being a better person. While these resolutions are great to make, they’re usually forgotten after January and make people’s lives more stressful since their friends and family constantly ask how they’re going.
8. The Perfect New Year’s Kiss
I know some people might disagree with me on this one, but hear me out. You spot that cutie across the room, wait all night, scooch over near them when the countdown begins, and when the clock strikes midnight…nothing happens. We’ve all had those nights. You hype it up in your mind expecting someone to sweep you off your feet, and when nothing happens, you end the night upset. While the “Perfect New Year’s Kiss” might exist for some people, we shouldn’t go into the night expecting it to happen. New Year’s Eve has become a “perfect kiss contest” when it should be about spending time with people you care about.
9. The "New" New Year’s Eve
I know what you’re thinking. “How can New Year’s Eve be what you don’t like about New Year’s Eve?”. But you’re missing my point. The “new” New Year’s Eve is what’s wrong with New Year’s. Back in the day, people would stay at home and celebrate with family and friends. They would toast at midnight and sing the night away with people they loved. Nowadays, the ball drops and people just keep dancing away at the club with strangers they barely know. We’ve lost the real meaning of New Year’s Eve.
While some people love New Year’s Eve, I feel that it has become about vanity and envy. We’ve lost the love, friendship, and appreciation for those around us on this old holiday. I urge you to forget about trying to impress others, forget finding the perfect dress, forget having the perfect New Year’s Eve kiss, and remember what really matters this holiday: friends, family, and a fresh start.
