Here's my take on the Japanese o-shōgatsu (お正月, New Year's) holiday week: I am, like, so ecstatic the whole thing is over.
For me, o-shogatsu means family gatherings, shinen no goaisatsu (新年のごあいさつ, exchange of New Year's greetings), endless preparations of huge, elaborate osechi (おせち, ritualized New Year's food dishes), monumental loads of washing up, and having to part with one's hard-earned cash in the form of o-toshidama (お年玉, New Year's allowance) distributed to legions of nephews, nieces, second cousins and the occasional, timely new-born (blessed are the sibling-less during the holiday season). The entire package never ceases to leave me feeling suicidal and wanting to quote Karl Marx . . . something about the number of females powering the kitchen being unequal to the number of large males lolling in front of a television screen bigger than my bathroom, all swigging beer and clamoring to be fed.
But the nightmare is over and I am a free woman . . . for another 12 months, anyway.