BY HAUNANI TOMAS
MANAGING EDITOR
In lieu of the post-Thanksgiving weekend,
Christmas time has arrived in full
effect. Our favorite holiday songs pepper
the radio stations and every girl listens to
Mariah Carey’s rendition of “All I Want for
Christmas is You,” at least once a day.
However, something has changed this
year compared to last: you’re a year older.
(Obviously). Although it may just seem like
another 365 days have passed, the years add
up.
In unsuccessfully attempting to avoid
sounding like the Grinch, Christmas is just
not as thrilling as it was all those years ago.
Activities ranging from Black Friday
shopping to opening presents on Christmas
Day are just plain different from what they
used to be.
SHOPPING
Your Black Friday shopping isn’t for you
anymore. Rather, it’s for your mother’s coworkers
and presents for extended family.
You’ll easily spend $50 at Bath & Body
Works alone, taking advantage of the ridiculous
hand soap and candle deals that
could come in handy for any potential lastminute
presents (a.k.a. the people you forgot
about).
If you’re lucky enough to squeeze in
some “me” shopping time, you’ll most likely
sin in the form of overpayment at any of
the following: Target, Target or, probably,
Target. And, if we aren’t struggling enough
already, we’ll find every reason to spend the
majority of our November paycheck at our
favorite department store.
PRESENTS
The pressure of picking out presents
increases dramatically. You can’t get away
with buying merchandise from the school
bookstore anymore.
Also, there no longer exists a plethora of
peculiar-shaped, mysterious presents bearing
your name underneath the tree. Your
presents are most likely in a boring box,
containing clothes (that you picked out) or,
even better, gift cards to buy clothes.
Your response to the ever-probing question
“What do you want for Christmas?” always
begins with “I don’t know…” when in
reality, there exists a mentally stored yearround
list that only seems to grow. You just
don’t want to admit it to anyone because if
you want it, it makes sense if you just buy
it, right?
CHRISTMAS DAY
Sleeping in on Christmas day isn’t an option,
especially if you have younger siblings.
Throughout the entire term we rise and
shine at the ripe hour of seven in the morning
to attend our eight o’clock classes. We’ve
already paid our dues in the form of sleepdeprivation
every Monday and Wednesday
(or maybe Tuesday and Thursday).
Waking up early isn’t as holly-jolly as it
used to, mostly because a prolonged slumber
now trumps our gifts, which will still be
waiting under the tree after noon. They’re
not going anywhere.
CELEBRATIONS
For all you over-twenty-oners, Christmas
becomes yet another excuse to celebrate
with some (or a lot of) booze. Did
you really think you could finally start that
detox over winter break to cleanse your
body of all the tequila shots you’ve downed
throughout the term?
Two-words: peppermint schnapps.
Along with (hopefully responsible)
boozing, comes the return of the multitude
of ugly sweater parties. This is the only
time of year when having the most hideous
Christmas sweater is actually a compliment.
I repeat, the only time of the year.
DECORATIONS
Decorating the Christmas tree becomes
another task on your chore list when you
realize that you’re probably, or definitely,
going to be responsible for cleaning, packing
and storing all of the ornaments.
Every. Single. One.
The responsibility of cleaning up the
Christmas tree is all yours now. Not your
mom’s.
When driving around town to see who
has the most Christmas lights and frontyard
décor, I can only think of two things:
my mileage per gallon and how insanely
high everyone’s electricity bill must be at
the beginning of January.
However, for those of you who have
Christmas lights in your room year-round,
there’s no real surprise there.
Regardless, of how un-holly-jolly things
might be during the holidays, it is still the
most wonderful time of the year.
