Isn’t It A Little Early To Be Planning for New Year’s Eve?

A lot of my friends can’t believe that the day after Halloween all of the pumpkins and skeletons have instantly transformed into turkey posters and Christmas balls. But I absolutely love it.

There is nothing better than walking through the streets (or the sidewalk in front of your dorm) bundled up in a cashmere scarf past Christmas lights twinkling on railings and storefronts. After spotting wreaths hanging from lampposts in my ‘hood I spent my weekend sipping hot cocoa, flipping through the holiday edition of my favorite mags and watching Thanksgiving inspired recipes on the Food Network. It was my very own glorious holiday bubble.

And then, like that, it burst.

I opened my computer to find an email from my friend trying to figure out our plans for New Years Eve. Which is nearly 7 weeks away. SEVEN! New Years?! You mean the celebration that is on December 31st?! Is she for real?

First of all, there are two very important holidays between now and NYE. Neither of which I have planned, and both that I love more than any other. Why rush the most glorious time of year? When New Years Day rolls around you are only left with nothing but a massive hangover and memories of a holiday season passed. New Year’s marks the end of the holidays and sends you packing up your suitcase and heading back to school for a new semester of essays and homework and stress. The decorations vanish, the cheer disintegrates and you’re left with nothing but dread for the next holiday: Valentine’s Day.

But that’s not even my biggest issue.

I don’t even know what I’m going to do tonight let alone 7 weeks from now. And why spend so much time planning a night that will inevitably end up sucking? Let’s be honest: NYE is often a bust and it’s only more of a letdown when you make grand plans months in advance. You build the whole fantastic plan up in your head only to find that there are no cute boys to kiss at the party and the champagne runs out at 11.

Plus, some of the best parties and New Years activities pop up in the weeks before the day, which you have to decline since you’ve already promised a friend of a friend of a friend that you’d attend the gathering in her parents’ basement. Awesome.

Ugh. Why doesn’t everyone put the NYE planning on hold and revel in the prolonged holidays? The Thanksgiving break where you spend 5 days straight in your PJ’s eating turkey and stuffing sandwiches; and the Christmas break where you have three glorious weeks of shopping for gifts, catching up with your high school friends over latte’s at Starbucks (or shots at the bar), and having a tree glimmering in your front window.

2009 isn’t over yet, so leave me alone and let me enjoy it.
We’ll discuss NYE at a more appropriate time… like mid-December.