Let’s be honest, New Year’s sucks. Other than an excuse to go party and make terrible decisions, what is it? A chance to make resolutions and set goals that most people will abandon within two months? Other than the fact that it is a new year, there is nothing redeeming about it. New Year’s is like Cinco De Mayo. A bunch of people get together, go and drink, and then instead of putting sombreros on and dancing to Mexican Folk Music, they go and watch a ball drop from a tower in New York.

   Now think about this. What is good about New Year’s? What does New Year’s do better than other holidays? Thanksgiving gets people together far more effectively than New Year’s ever will. Halloween has better parties. Christmas gets people more excited. And there’s never any special food that’s made specifically for New Years, or any interesting or fun decorations. New Year’s doesn’t do anything well.

   Some will say that New Year’s is great, that they will follow through with their resolutions no matter what happens, and that New Year’s is their only chance throughout the year to see their families. They might even say that it is simply a fun holiday. According to Forbes Magazine, 92 percent of people who say that they will complete their resolutions fail, and that includes the people who swore on their mothers (Forbes.com).

  If New Year’s is the only chance people have throughout the whole year to see their relatives, that’s saying something about their families: they aren’t a very high priority on the list of people to be seen. New Year’s is a holiday which doesn’t hold much substance, and doesn’t have as much meaning to people as other holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. When families gather, it is a time to be grateful for the opportunity and to enjoy your time together. The New Year’s celebrations, predominantly drinking, leave you with no good chance to express this joy for the gathering of family members and loved ones.

  No matter how fun some New Year’s parties may be, there is always an opportunity for a better party throughout the year because New Year’s is the changing of a date and that’s all it will ever be. There are also way fewer people partying than you may think. In a study done by WalletHub, there is an estimated  nine percent of people who make plans to go to a bar or an organized event for the New Year (Chron.com). When thinking about what made a New Year’s party great, no-one expresses that it was something unique to New Year’s. There has never been anyone to state, “Watching that ball drop really made my night.” On the other hand, when asking about what makes a Halloween party great, for example, one would say, “The decorations and great costumes gave a great, spooky vibe.”

   Another problem is the constant pressure to “start your year off right,” and if there is no possibility to have a great time the day before the calendar renews, then the whole year is ruined. Freshman Shaun Rabot can sympathize due to the fact that he has gone through it before: “I was at a New Year’s party and it seemed like everyone was having a great time except for me, and it took me half of the night to figure out how to change that.” Has anyone had a good time while constantly worrying about having a good time? No. In addition to pressure to have a good time, there are all of the theories about the end of the world which arise every year. Nobody wants to hear about how a secret planet is coming from behind the moon and will destroy the earth.

   Finally, there is the New Year’s kiss. The worst of all. The feeling of being required to get one, other people bragging about them, and the annoying couples who post them. Having this requirement looming over you, always nagging in the back of your mind, adds to an already terrible day. And if you were looking to take your mind off of this expectation with some specialty New Year’s cuisine, you’re out of luck. Take your pick of black eyed peas, grapes, boiled cabbage, or lentils.

   Don’t hide from the truth any longer, New Year’s is not a good holiday. It doesn’t accomplish anything any better than any other holiday. It doesn’t bring great decorations or memorable food or anything of substance. New Year’s sucks.