Get your matching yoga pants and Uggs out, the holiday drinks from Starbucks are here. Ladies, it’s go time. Have your Instagram filter ready to capture the moment that the barista hands you your artfully crafted Arabic gold. Every turn of the season brings the return of the holiday season’s infamous drinks whether it be the classic Peppermint Mocha, the savory Caramel Brulee Latte, the brand new Gingerbread Latte or the old reliable Eggnog Latte.

What makes these drinks so darn-tooting craveable? Maybe it’s the fact that it reminds some of us what the holiday seasons meant to us as young children or that they help keep us warm on a cold and frigid morning in winter. Either way, the nation’s demand for these unique holiday drinks is never ending and a bit confusing.

The Eggnog Latte barely delivers on its promised “eggnog” taste and the Caramel Brûlée Latte leaves drinkers over-sweetened by the almost diabetic amount of sugar. The exaggerated sense of importance Starbucks exudes is extremely apparent in these drinks. For one Caramel Brûlée means burnt caramel. To me, that sounds utterly disgusting.

Social media’s ever-constant grasp of these drinks can be seen through the typical “white girl” selfie standing with BFFs five feet from the barista who just handed the ladies dressed in infinity scarves and messy buns having a#nomakeup day their much anticipated red cup of holiday goodness. Tweets building up to the “release” days fill up the #StarbucksHolidayDrink page. High-pitched squeals and jumps of joy for the iconic red cups of the holiday seasons replace tears of sadness for the departure of the iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte, the white girl symbol for fall. People lose their marbles over the silly marketing scheme of the red cups. They have to have it because it’s only for a limited time.

That’s life people. Things don’t last forever. You don’t have to go bananas just because something is only around for the winter and comes in a specially designed cup.

Perhaps these drinks are no more than just another attempt by corporate America to hop on the once pure holiday season now which is now ruled by consumerism meant to exploit the raised spirits of common folk.  The Peppermint Mocha is not drizzled with chocolate sauce but actually the tears of coffee baristas everywhere as they use their degree in liberal arts to make designs in whip cream for a living. If I have to deal with one more sassy, hipster barista who judges my taste in coffee because I may not choose the Ethiopian organically brewed dark roast, I might just explode.

But nonetheless, the drinks do bring some joy to people’s lives and perk up either miserable school days or the beginning of a ten-hour work shift. Isn’t that everyone’s goal in life to be distracted from the bleak existence they call their life? Even if it’s only for a few minutes. It’s perfectly okay to take time every once in a while to indulge yourself into one of these drinks if you truly need a pick-me-up or are just having a bad day.

The real  problem is that they are over-hyped every year to the point where I lose a little bit of my sanity every time I see the commercials or advertisements. You may be thinking that I’m the world’s biggest Grinch for not liking one of the so called “greatest part of the holiday season,” but remember what the holiday season is truly about: thankfulness, joy, family and giving. Not commercialized products espousing fake messages of  gotta-haves and wants.