Before I know it, New Year’s Eve will be here. As a 22-year-old, I feel like I should be looking forward to New Year’s Eve as a chance to celebrate and hang out with my friends – but with December 31 rapidly approaching, I find myself dreading it more and more. As I reflect on my previous hazy and unmemorable experiences, I can see with more clarity why I just don’t like New Year’s Eve.
1. It’s Expensive
If you don’t buy tickets or make reservations in advance, your chances of getting into that fun club or fancy restaurant go down, and no one wants to spend New Year’s Eve waiting in line. According to a 2016 article by Forbes, attending an event in New York City on New Year’s Eve costs an average of $305.27 per person (just going out to dinner isn’t that much better – New Year’s Eve dinner clocked in at $273.58 per person on average)! Prices skyrocket because everyone wants to get out there and celebrate. When you tack on the extra costs of your fabulous outfit, any alcoholic beverages, and a taxi to take you home (gotta be safe when you’re imbibing those fancy cocktails), you’re looking at a large chuck of money for just one night. Don’t forget that taxis and other companies like Uber and Lyft have been known to surcharge on holidays.
2. The Pressure
Inevitably, every year you and your friends sit down and have the talk – you know, the “so what are you doing for New Year’s Eve?” talk. There’s this need to go somewhere where you can dress up in your glamorous outfit and post photos on social media so everyone knows you weren’t just at home drinking champagne in your pajamas (even if that’s what you really want to do in the first place).
And of course, at the stroke of midnight, there’s that New Year’s kiss. If you’re in a relationship, then you don’t have to worry about this part – kiss away! But if you’re the single gal (or guy) in the room, you’re either going to end up kissing a stranger or watching everyone else in the room kissing their significant others…except for you.
3. The Booze
Chances are you won’t be stopping at one or two (or maybe even three) drinks when you’re out on New Year’s Eve. Instead, you’ll be slinging back the bubbly stuff, because that’s what you do at a celebration. Unfortunately, that means the next morning probably isn’t going to be a fun one.
4. It’s Overrated
Today, New Year’s Eve is all about ringing in the New Year with a BANG. Lavish parties with booze, sparkly dresses, and confetti are the norm. But the expectations for this one night are so high, you’re bound to be disappointed. How many times have you woken up after an expensive night out and thought to yourself, “Wow, was that really worth it?” In my opinion, you’re more apt to find yourself still out at 3 a.m. with blistered feet wondering why you even bothered to go out in the first place.
5. It’s Hypocritical
Maybe the real reason I just don’t enjoy New Year’s Eve is because it’s yet another holiday that has been commercialized. New Year’s should be exciting because it’s a chance to reflect on the previous year and think about what you want to change in the coming year. Maybe you set some new goals like getting more organized or being healthier. A new year is a fresh start – so why do we often spend New Year’s Eve at a club or party instead of at a rejuvenating retreat? The start of a brand-new year should be about detox. Instead, we kick off New Year’s Day usually feeling awful from the toxins we willingly poured into our body the night before.
I don’t hate the meaning behind New Year’s Eve; I just don’t like what it’s become. I’ll probably be spending the last day of the year out with all of my friends – but I’d prefer to spend New Year’s Eve at home in my comfy pajamas, with a small glass of champagne to toast at midnight, surrounded by the people I love.
