Most of the florescent Christmas decorations have already been taken down on my street, thus beginning the drudging downwards spiral cycle of annual Christmas depression. Let me elaborate.

The Christmas break system for the 2017-2018 school year was wildly improved from previous years. Unlike past years at Elder, the first semester this year came to a smooth and fulfilling end with projects and/or exams before break, rather than after break.

This milestone transition resulted in an entirely stress free TWO WEEK break, opposed to exams hanging over the students’ heads like a storm cloud we refused to face (study for). So the usual holiday festivities took place: Decorating, Christmas shopping, secret Santa present distributing, ugly Christmas sweater parties, family Christmas parties, etc. and the list goes on.

Then Christmas morning hits. Unwrapping a smorgasbord of presents from immediate and extended family on the glorious morning of December 25th surrounded by the people you love is one of the most joyous feelings in the world. And you can ride this feeling out for the better half of three days or so, but soon the magic begins to fade.

In response, many people begin to look for something…anything…to fill the quickly widening cavity Christmas created in our nostalgic holiday rewards system; the answer is New Years.

“New Years, yes, New Years,” the brain tells itself. “Another ‘Holiday’. Another festive event to look forward to. New Years will do it.” While New Years is undoubtedly an unforgettable night (or a bit too forgettable if you celebrate hard enough), the coming and passing of the most anticipated night of the year is extremely fleeting.

The transitional night into a new year comes and goes faster than you can blow that obnoxious cardboard and plastic horn, thus officially leaving the holiday season in the dust.

Now I am well aware the Catholic church pushes the idea of the Christmas season starting on the 25th, and that idea is all fine and dandy (hearing it every Christmas Eve mass), but our natural human instinct simply does not process in such a way.

The holiday season begins in November a little while before Thanksgiving, and ends on New Years. Despite how religious you are, you bluntly are lying to yourself if you tell yourself you withhold Christmas cheer until the day of, and New Years does not have an impact.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the ending of the holiday season is immediate slam into the brick wall of school or work proceeding the following weekend with the only foreseeable future consisting of freezing grey weather and daily tasks.

However, amidst the post holiday depression ignited by the previously mentioned causes, there is a of slim beam of light at the end of the tunnel.

Elder Basketball

While Elder basketball is still recovering from a fresh loss to the notorious LaSalle Lancers, a rowdy GCL cheering section above the Paul Hans Frey court can cure any form of depression, even when the temperature hits negative numbers.

NFL Playoffs

Another common cure to the post-Christmas blues has to be hunkering down on the most comfortable couch in your house and letting the NFL playoffs (and eventually the Super Bowl) entertain your melancholy away.

Another treasure about watching the playoffs is the company. A group of friends bonding over the same subject, especially the NFL, always lightens the personalities of everyone present.

March Madness

March madness can be grouped in with college basketball in general. College basketball may be the most invigorating sporting events ever to be played, and the big dance (March Madness) only heightens the already highly anticipated games. 

So there you have it. If the inevitable post-Christmas depression sets in soon for you, the bottom line is spend time with people around you in an activity you all enjoy, sports or not.