Well. Seeing as today is April Fools' Day, I thought I'd have a little discussion about the five holidays I hate the most, in ranked order. With explanations, of course.
1. April Fools' Day. This my absolute least favorite holiday. I hate practical jokes in general, and having a day designated for that? It's just cruel. Computer worms, making exciting announcements and then taking them back, an excuse to pick on people who already get picked on a lot anyway... ugh. I hate it. And I hate that I have to spend the whole day being SUSPICIOUS. Speaking of which, if anyone today announces something shocking on their blog? I REALLY DOUBT IT'S TRUE.
2. St. Patrick's Day. This day is just so POINTLESS. I mean, WHY? And why must everyone pretend they're Irish? And so many people look terrible in green. And you can't even go out because the streets are full of drunken revelers. And then everyone is hungover the next day at work. Maybe it's because I don't drink much, but ugh.
3. Halloween. I just never really got into this holiday, even as a kid. The dressing up was never fun--it was always desperation at the last second, trying to figure out a costume, finally getting one together, and then having to wear a coat trick-or-treating anyway. Maybe this is why we didn't even think about Halloween when we scheduled our wedding for November 1, and ended up inconveniencing several people with kids over our rehearsal dinner the night before.
4. Valentine's Day. I don't have the raging hatred for this holiday that a lot of people do. I think the concept is sweet and I don't think there are THAT many people who use it as an excuse not to be nice or romantic for the rest of the year. It's just a reminder and an excuse to do a little something extra, and it's fun to celebrate when you're first in a relationship. But it really sucks if you aren't. And all the restaurants cost a ton more than usual. And the worst part is all the expectations it sets up. They're pretty much impossible to meet (see here), making what should have been a lovely day awful instead. This year we were in the middle of moving across country on Valentine's Day, and it was the best V-Day we've spent together.
5. Independence Day. The CONCEPT is nice, I'll grant you that. It's fun, we became our own country, there are fireworks and picnics. But it's so HOT. And the fireworks shows are so CROWDED. And since you have to wait until it's dark to set them off, the kids are always exhausted and crabby, and that's no fun for everyone. And there are MOSQUITOES. Why couldn't we have declared our independence in, say, late April?
What about you? Is there a holiday you can't stand?
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And "Bah Humbug" to you too! ;)
ReplyDeleteLOL - I like ALL holidays. April Fool's is my least fave, but only because I think it's fairly lame.
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh. I just don't think about holidays all that much. I do the stuff, but I just don't bother with whatever is inconvenient for me. I don't sit in traffic to watch fireworks, etc...
ReplyDeleteAmen, Jess! Couldn't have said it better myself. And because I figured no one would believe what I write today anyway, I chose to add a little fluff factor to my post. Don't hate me.
ReplyDeleteOh, I have to agree with you on a lot of that. I'd add the entire Thanksgiving through New Years season to my list. But that's just me. :)
ReplyDeleteI really like normal every day life.
I hate April Fool's Day too. All the silly posts are just so... pointless. And mean.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty much a holiday lover, but I'm indifferent toward V-day too. Just not a big deal to me.
ReplyDeleteI think April Fool's day is lame, though. But 4th of July?? The barbeques, the fireworks, the swimming... oh, I LOVE 4th of July, hot or not. :)
I love everything but christmas. It's just too much.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you on April Fool's Day...I never liked this one, even as a kid. St Patrick's day I didn't used to like, either, until we went to Ireland--now the day serves as an excuse to get out all our old trip photos and reminisce (it helps that this was the last big trip we took). I'm not find of the parent days, either--there was a brief time, before I had kids, when Mother's Day was a day of getting up early and going out for a nice brunch. Now it's just another day, one in which I have to celebrate being exhausted. :)
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween! But I agree with you on April Fool's Day. Sucktastic.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about April Fool's Day. I hate practical jokes, and I can't watch shows like "Candid Camera" or "Punk'd" without feeling all squirmy and uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteWhat holidays DO you like, though?? You didn't leave a whole lot not on the hate list! :-)
Does Cinco de Mayo count? It's another excuse for people to get drunk. At least with St. Patty's Day, there are people with Irish backgrounds who can legitimately celebrate their heritage - even though most just use it as another excuse to get drunk. But if you have no Mexican background, why celebrate Mexican independence day? Oh, yeah, because it's an excuse to get drunk. Blaagh.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on April Fools and Valentines, too.
I don't dislike any holidays. We don't go overboard with any of them, but the kids make them a lot more fun than they used to be.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA! I agree with Fiona's first comment!
ReplyDeleteJust kidding. I do LOVE Halloween, though - always have. And I second whoever said that kids make holidays more fun. They truly do.
Totally with you! I just don't get why people go so overboard with holidays sometimes.
ReplyDeleteAt my office they decorate for every single holiday, even if it is still 2 months away. I just get tired of always looking at lights/garland/window stickers/wreaths/banners/etc.
I completely agree with all those. I do like the 4th though, but agree about mosquitos. yuck!
ReplyDeleteI hate, hate, hate, NYE with a burning passion. Especially when I was single. The best one I've ever had involved me and a girlfriend in pajamas, a ridiculous assortment of appetizers, and a large bottle of wine.
ReplyDeleteSome friends of ours once invited us to participate in an a PROGRESSIVE DINNER on NYE. Anyone else see the problem with this?
I hate halloween, too. It does nothing for me. Most hated? Sweetest Day. What's the point of that?
ReplyDeleteI can't say I "hate" any of the holidays, but I roll my eyes at April fool's, president's day, St Patrick's day and Valentine's day.
ReplyDeleteI like halloween, though; it's more fun I think when you get to dress up your little kiddo and trick or treat with them through the neighborhood. But also it's the first in the series of the winter Holidays, and it's kind of fun to start getting into the celebration habit.
I love 4th of July. I like that we get a day off, that it's celebrated with picnics and bbqs, and that there are fireworks to attend. It's like a celebration of summer.
This list is great!
ReplyDeleteI hate practical jokes too - unless of course, I'm part of the one planning the joke.
July 4th was always a hassle where we used to live because our attendance was considered mandatory at the same dull party every year. Gahhh...
The very worst excuse for a 'holiday' is a surprise birthday party. Oh how I LOATHE surprises and combined with birthdays they are just so SO bad.
....Um, St. Patrick's Day is my favorite holiday, followed by Halloween, the 4th of July and Valentine's Day. I've never been a huge practical joker, but I LOVE the other holidays!
ReplyDeleteI actually am Irish, and green is my favorite color. I love dressing up (not scary-bloody-gross, but a solid awesomesauce costume), and the 4th of July is my grandpa's birthday so we always had a huge HUGE party. And Valentine's Day is my mom's favorite holiday, growing up it wasn't about love, it was about chocolate.
Can we still be friends?
xox
Aw man! Fourth of July is my absolute favorite holiday. There's jello cake in the shape of the flag! How can you hate that?!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I just CAN'T STAND St. Patrick's Day. Boo.
April Fools day and Halloween are THE WORST. I don't enjoy either of them. But I LOVE St. Pattys (I look great in green!) and Valentines is such a wonderful wonderful day, even though I've never not been single for it.
ReplyDeleteI used to really dislike Halloween, too. That was until I had kids that I get to dress up in super-cute costumes. And we trick-or-treat in the mall. So no coats.
ReplyDeleteBut I can't say that there are any holidays that I hate. Mostly because they are perfect excuses to get together with otherwise super busy family and friends.
But April Fool's is pointless.
I don't like April Fool's Day, either, partly because I am credulous and don't think it's nice of people to laugh at me for trusting them. I also don't like Halloween because I don't like scary stuff.
ReplyDeleteI DO like Valentine's Day, but ONLY if I'm single! I like it as a day to enjoy that "I'm not with anyone" mopey feeling. I get a bunch of girl movies and a big heart-shaped box of chocolate and I wallow happily.
Valentine's day, I guess. Or Christmas. May 2-4 (Queen Victoria's birthday) is big in Canada too. The tradition is to go camping and drink lots and lots of beer, yet it ALWAYS rains.
ReplyDeleteI don't really pay attention to holidays, except Canada Day (July 1st), Thanksgiving (2nd Monday in October).
st. patty's day is still my favorite holiday. i think i look pretty killer in green :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of them, except the Halloween. I adore Halloween.
ReplyDeleteI especially hate St. Patrick's day, who cares, really? It's all about drinking anyways and I rarely drink.
Your top three are also my top three - except I would put Halloween first. I LOATHE Halloween.
ReplyDeleteI love halloween, and I think St Patty's is funny although I can see how it's pointless. I dislike April's Fools day a lot because I'm always the victim of the pranks.
ReplyDeleteI have one thing to say to you:
ReplyDeleteWORD.
Oh, yeah. I am not a big fan of MOST holidays, because they either require a lot of work, or they wind up being totally disappointing. I find the 4th of July, New Years Eve and Halloween to be pretty dependably disappointing; parent's days to involve way too much travel (to both sets of parents) and usually we wind up hurting someone's feelings with who is eating what meal with whom. It's a giant pain in the ass.
ReplyDeleteI hate April Fools, Valentines and DEFINITELY St. Patricks Day. Oh yeah, lets all pretend we're Irish and get drunk! Good one!
ReplyDeleteI'm super gullible, with friends who enjoy taking advantage...so I too hate April Fool's.
ReplyDeleteAnother vote here for New Years Eve. Single/partnered, party/quiet night, doesn't matter - New Years Eve ALWAYS fails to live up to expectations
ReplyDeleteI like April Fool's Day just because I'm an NPR junkie and they always have hilarious fake news stories on April 1. Today they did a thing about a whale farm, then and another story about PETA suing losing sports teams named after animals because it degrades the defenseless animals. And they do it with a straight face, totally dry! So funny. And even though they do this every year, they get angry letters from people every year who are stupid enough to believe the stories, which is probably even funnier than the fake stories themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think that you will like Independence Day better in Denver....no mosquitos and not as hot as DC!! Plus it is not as crowded!
ReplyDeletePeople pretending to be irish is wierd. I always liked those shirts that said "i'm irish..." and something after it. I bought a shirt that said "i'm not irish..." I was excited about that. Also, I don't really care much about Aprils Fools because it just seems kind of silly and plus I am more excited about my birthday (April 2) since that is close to April Fools Day.
ReplyDeleteAPRIL FOOLS?! You Love ALL Holidays?
ReplyDeleteKidding. But I am trying to be diligent...
I like most holidays, but just don't participate in some of them (St. Patty's Day - only did while in University and it was a fun pub night... April Fools - never really trick folks or get tricked in any big way, so it's okay... etc.).
I absolutely agree with you about April Fools Day. I hate it. HATE.
ReplyDeleteThe other holidays? aren't so bad. Particularly Halloween, which I'm trying to figure out how to celebrate as a childless adult, haha.
I love Halloween, and I'm also pretty into fireworks, so I also like independence day. Actually, I like all holidays except this one. I really dislike this one.
ReplyDeleteI love and hate Christmas. I love it because...well, it's Christmas! I love the decorations and the weather and a candycane peeking out of a cup of cocoa and giving gifts and being all cozy with people you love. But at the same time, I'm not Christian and so don't have family to go visit and yet have to use vacation time during the same two weeks of the year every year. And I can't use that forced vacation time to go anywhere interesting because flights are insanely expensive and half of Europe is Catholic and will be shut down.
ReplyDelete