Over

 Well, Christmas has come. And gone. All that building up, all that hype, all for 24 hours that really didn't feel any more remarkable than any other day.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Stores have been pushing Christmas-related everything as soon as Halloween was over. (And now that Christmas is over, it's onto Valentine's Day.) Radio stations were playing Christmas music part-way through November. Constant hyping from all directions, and for what? A day that is special because we say it is special.

And then the next day it's back to business as usual. Literally - I got the 25th off, but come December 26, I'm back at work. Warmer temperatures meant snow melted away, thick fog made driving a nightmare; even the weather cannot maintain the Spirit of the Holidays for long.

It is a straining time. Society insists that you be holly and jolly, no matter how difficult things may be in your life. It is fine and good to talk of keeping the Christmas Spirit alive inside you all year round, but in truth, it's a struggle to maintain it for the one day. Constant pressure, too much to do, and if you have to listen to "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" one more time, you will scream. But you have to be happy and joyous, because it's the most wonderful time of the year.

Months of building up, and then it's here, and then it's gone.