Life

5 Reasons Why The Week Between Christmas And New Year's Eve Is The Best Part Of The Whole Year

Say what you will about spring and its bright optimism and romance, or fall with its vibrant colors and pumpkin spice everything, but the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve is, by far, the best time of the year. Sure, summer has inviting warmth and long days, and winter has a sh*tload of holidays, but the last week of any year — when Christmas lights are still up and you're still figuring out what to do on New Year's Eve — is, without a doubt, the week of the year I look forward to the most.

Think about it: The stress of the holiday season is behind you. You are no longer mentally examining your "to-do" list and thinking about the gifts you have to wrap and the meals you have to prepare. You're already used to the shorter days and the colder weather, so you've sufficiently equipped yourself with sweaters, scarves and warm (sometimes alcoholic) beverages. The parts of the year you would rather forget are dangerously close to being a distant memory, and the potential for a better year is just on the horizon.

And, believe it or not, it gets even better.

Here are just a few reasons why the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve is the best week of the year, so enjoy it, you guys! It will (at least seem) far too long before we experience these magical 7 days again.

Your House Is A Mess And It's Totally Acceptable

There are small pieces of wrapping paper still on the floor and you keep stepping on those tiny plastic twist things that held toys to cardboard, but it's OK because gift-induced disaster is allowed to linger. The dishes can wait and the vacuuming can be put off because, hey, you made it through the holidays and the memories are totally worth the mess, right? Right. Take a load off, friend. You deserve it.

You Can Slack Off At Work And Not Feel Bad

Let's face it, everyone is on vacation anyway. There's no reason to kill yourself at your job because, well, no one will notice either way! Why waste your A-game on a week when no one is paying attention? You don't have to feel bad about not being at the top of your game or working as hard as you usually would, as "real work" doesn't really begin until the new year anyway. So, if you think about it and you are working during this week of magic, consider it a paid holiday of sorts. No, you're not spending your time on a beach, but you're not necessarily "working" either.

You're Possibly Still Spending Time With Friends And Family

Family and/or friend time doesn't end when Christmas does. Maybe you traveled back home and are still around parents and siblings for a few more days. Or, maybe family members visited you for the holidays and they plan on spending a little more time with you before they leave. Either way, there's an extra pair of hands to do dishes, cook meals, and run errands, on top of the happy family fun time and non-stop lame-but-amazing dad jokes.

Your Schedule Is Wide Open

There's really nothing concrete and immoveable on the agenda between Christmas and New Year's Eve, which means you are totally justified in sitting on your couch sans pants and watching everything Netflix has to offer, day after splendidly lazy day. You'll have plenty of time to be busy next year, so enjoy this schedule-free time while you can, I say.

You Don't Have To Cook

One word: leftovers. Your fridge is now filled with container after container of whatever delicious meal you (or your family) made for Christmas dinner, and there's enough food in there to last you for a week. Not to mention cookies and pie and fudge? If the zombie apocalypse happened right this second, you'd be set. So enjoy this marvelous week of unapologetic laziness, you guys. We've all earned it (kinda, whatever).

Images: Kimson Doan/Unsplash; Giphy(5)