Why New Year's Eve Is The Most Overrated Holiday
Well, it's finally here... New Year's Eve. After 364 days of being able to relax, enjoy life, and party responsibly, now it's time to throw that all out the window in the name of a new calendar year.
More so than Valentine's Day as a single person, St. Patrick's Day as someone who hates Guinness, or even the first day of school for parents and students alike, New Year's Eve is the singular worst holiday of the year. It's a time that is meant to get rid of bad vibes, start anew, and spend time with family and friends. And while that all sounds fine and dandy, the holiday typically turns into a night filled with loneliness and regrets. All that New Year's really leaves you with is an empty wallet and a massive hangover.
If this sounds a little melodramatic, that's because it is. But really, New Year's Eve is awful. Here are just a few of the many, many reasons:
Cover Charges, Prix Fixes, Hotel Rates, and Alcohol Prices
New Year's Eve is an expensive and crowded day at hotels, restaurants, and bars across the world. So, if you're just looking for a fun, normal night out, you're going to be out of luck. Hotels, bars, and clubs, if they weren't booked for special events ahead of time, will boost their prices for this holiday. Similarly, restaurants often scrap their normal menus for a NYE prix fixe with pricey specials and fancy ingredients.
It's a New Beginning... Kind Of
Some may see New Year's Day as the start of something new, but what's to say that the next 12 months will be any different than the 12 that preceded it? It's all in your own attitude, of course, but you can restart your outlook on life or attitude at any time in the calendar year. It's not as if midnight on Jan. 1 is a magical restart button. If you don't make a conscious effort to be more optimistic, more hardworking, or happier in the new year, it's not just going to happen.
There's a Lot of Pressure to Get Really, Really Drunk
New Year's Eve has to be the best. night. ever. for so many people, and it's just not always a realistic possibility. You need to find the party, the restaurant, and have the most amount of booze possible in a four-hour span to have what is deemed a "successful" night. And sure, there's nothing wrong with a few drinks or even an occasional night of overindulgence, but when getting blasted is the whole point of a holiday... it just isn't even fun anymore.
The Hangover
What follows after a night of getting slammed? A morning of vomit, headaches, and an upset stomach that no amount of cheeseburgers or water can cure. If you truly believe in the spirit of New Year's Eve, which is to say that it's a new year and a fresh start, then there's really no worse way to start a new year than with a massive hangover. Yeah... we'll pass.