The Best of Holiday-Themed Procrastination
The point of finals period may be to finally complete those problem sets or crack the spine on the $300 textbook you were supposed to be reading all semester, but we all know what the end of classes actually means: extra procrastination time. Luckily, with the end of exams comes Winter Break, and with Winter Break comes the holidays. Whether you're planning on returning home to a Christmas tree, a menorah, or even just a non-bunk bed, here are a few Internet distractions to delightfully fill the time you'd otherwise be using to scroll through your Facebook newsfeed.
Awkward Family (Christmas) Photos
Awkward Family Photos is already an excellent way to pass the time—who doesn't love to see a father so dedicated to his own kin that he had the faces of his family tattooed onto his back? During this festive time of year, the website's "Christmas" tag produces golden results. There's this picture, that can only be described as "Sports Illustrated: Christmas" and this one which...we're still trying to figure out. Bonus points if you get your roommates to take a photo awkward enough to end up on the site.
Buddy's Snowball Fight
Elf is probably one of the best Christmas movies ever. Even though it came out in 2003, Buddy's legacy of spreading Christmas cheer lives on in the form of this addicting game. Why bother filling out study guides and attending cram sessions when you could virtually throw snowballs at elves? Just watch out for Santa—hit him and you're on the naughty list.
10 Worst Gag Gifts
Sometimes a good gift is just too hard to think of—so it's better to think of the absolute worst. Santa Claus beard beanies may be great for the hipster on your gift list, but according to this amusing list by Cracked.com, your broke uncle may not find a fake lottery ticket quite as funny. This same website also has other time-wasting, laugh-inducing holiday lists such as "The 5 Most Baffling Christmas-related Crimes" and for the music lover (hater?) in you, "The 4 Least Anticipated Christmas Albums of 2012."
Make Your Own Dreidel
If you've ever played with a dreidel, you know it is simultaneously an exhilarating and frustrating experience to keep it spinning. Obviously, the best time to construct and play with your own is when you should be studying for a final, right? A couple websites (here, here, and here) have printable dreidel templates designed for 6-year-olds to create, so it should only take you an hour or so to successfully make your own. Get your roommates or whoever is around you in the library to participate in the dreidel festivities! Gambling and/or drinking games are encouraged.
Your House in a Snow Globe
This is, by far, one of the coolest Christmas-procrastination websites around. Type in any address, and voila!, by virtue of some sort of mysterious Google Earth technology, any house can be seen virtually in a snow globe. Even better, the site makes a donation to the Coalition for the Homeless on your behalf every time you make a new snow globe. Avoid your homework and do some good, all without leaving your desk!