Americans: Crashing Each Other's Parties for Decades.

Isn't sort of fucked up how much people are willing to celebrate other people's holidays, but only when the holiday includes overconsumption?

I mean, why go out for Fat Tuesday if you're not going to go to church and get ash rubbed all over your forehead the following day. Or give up something for 40.

And what about St. Patrick's Day. No one on any other day would pretend to be Irish. But oh, watch out on St. Patty's Day everyone let's their freckles fly free.

How many people go out for Cinco de Mayo? And why? Because we say one day out of our entire year in Spanish? How does drinking tequila shots really celebrate Mexico's victory over French forces?

I love drinking just as much as the next almost-alcoholic, but what I don't like is drinking to celebrate other people's celebrations.

We are an over-consumption society.

We do all of the fun stuff but we don't pay attention to anything that's difficult. We'll gorge ourselves of food and booze but we won't fast. We won't pray. We won't give-up anything.

We shouldn't be able to just pick and choose the good things and neglect the things that are challenging, the challenge is what feeds spirituality...not the spirits we imbibe.

But it's not about spirituality is it?

Will our society ever get past our collegiate frat stage?

Or will we always be a lost crowd going from drunken fiesta to the next?

Get Your Holiday Drink On With These Easy Cocktail Recipes.

I don't know about any of you, but I sure like to have a long-extended buzz over the holidays. Why not spice up the drinking with some of my favorite winter recipes.

Holly Jolly Hangover, Surprise!

1 part vodka (can be flavored)

1 part midori (melon liquor)

2 parts club soda, tonic water or a 7UP like beverage

splash of lime juice

garnish with maraschino cherries.

Put it in a regular glass over ice. Enjoy.

Apple-Jacked Cider

1 part dark rum

1 part cinnamon schnapps

3 parts apple cider

garnish with cinnamon stick or slice of apple

Can warm up the cider then add the liquor or pour it all over ice depending on your mood.

Pomegranpagne Celebrate!

1 Shot of pomegranate liquor

Pour into glass

Fill with Champagne

garnish with lemon twist (or just drink it quickly).

Let's Party Like We're Grandmas.

As I've gotten older I often wake up, hung-over, wondering why I did that again.

I mean seriously. Why did I do that again, knowing that I was going to feel like shit the entire day?

And another thing. Why do we go to bars?

I don't get it.

We go to the bar with a group of people, sit around with that group of people, only talk to that group of people, while judging all the other groups of people sitting around judging the other groups of people.

And for what? A future of bad hearing, debt, and liver cancer?

Wouldn't it make more sense for the group to just hang out at one of the members' houses? It's quiet. You can play the music you like, and generally it's cheaper (that is, if everyone BYOB's and doesn't mooch off of host's stock).

Also...it can be done earlier...so we can get to bed at a decent hour.

Old grannie, you call me?

Fine.

I like bingo.

I like Wheel of Fortune.

I like blue hair.

I like crocheted kleenex boxes. (not really).

I can't wait until I'm old and get to live in one of those community centers where we have weekend dances, where I won't have to leave the building to get my hair did or eat dinner.

I mean, I can wait. But I'm very excited for it. (yes I should probably just go live in a commune...whatever).

Anyway, I digress. Is it so wrong to want to be social and yet want to not waste the entire next day? I don't think so.

Control you suggest.

Well, even if I don't drink as much but we're still out until 3 a.m. — we're still out until 3 a.m. And I like to get a good 8 to ten hours of sleep.

But it's like some people can't seem to become fun until they think they're parents have gone to bed or something. I mean hello. They. Don't. Care. They were once almost just like you, and if they were just the opposite of you, why do you care, they sound like assholes?

Finally.

What's better than a good heated debate over cyborgs, or the art of being a hipster, or eating cheese? Or whatever weird topics people in circles seem to come up with while drinking. It's hard (though possible) to have these discussions in bars, but it's really easy to have them in someone's living room.

And if things get real steamy between certain people--a bedroom is only steps away. . .