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with labubus Hanging from our bags, Dubai With chocolate in our bellies and “6-7” ringing in our ears, it’s almost time to say goodbye to some of the things that fell hard in 2025.
Scat. Don’t follow us into the new year. You have 15 minutes. We are on you.
Deep Six ‘6-7’ hold
Youth have coined abusive words for centuries. For General Alpha and his juniors, it’s Skibidi and Riz and, yes, “6-7.” The numbers come with juggling-esque, palms-up hand gestures and serve to irritate many a teacher and parent (it’s the frequency, group stack and decibel level that really get them).
Just breathe, dear adult. Your youthful speech also caused trouble. It’s just that it was a long time ago and you don’t really remember it. But wait. There’s a whole group of adults out there who are at “6-7”. Stop. It is not yours. You don’t get to say it. You get zero original basic points.
Like most memes, it has an origin story: for starters, rapper Skrilla’s “6-7” in the “Doot Doot (6 7)” lyric, with the height of the Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball. Its 6-7-ness spread on TikTok and remained so until 2025.
So what does this actually mean? Nothing, but it serves its purpose: to be random and to confuse the unfamiliar. It also performed well as clickbait for Dictionary.com, which made the two numbers its word of the year.
Mission completed, “6-7.” Farewell.
Only positive vibes?
Maintain a positive mindset. Every moment. no matter what.
Sorry, toxic positivity people, but human emotions don’t work like that, especially in these divisive times. In 2025, sentiment shaming continued in many ways.
“good vibes only.” “Don’t be so negative.” “it could be worse.” With empathy it seems harmless or even helpful. However, too often those words are fired like arrows to suppress legitimate feelings without any good reason.
Optimism is a great thing in itself, with numerous studies conducted over the decades demonstrating a link between a positive outlook and good health outcomes. That said, as we enter the New Year, check your “only positive energy” demands at the door. In other words, just let them go…
Feel the emotions. Get help if you need help. Repression is oppression.
proteinprotein everywhere
Protein is a basic building block. We need protein. But does the average healthy adult need that much extra protein? Big Food has produced high-protein processed foods ranging from Starbucks foam for drinks to Pop-Tarts, popcorn, cookies and muffins.
According to nutritionists, the thing is: Your body is very good at making protein. You need a small amount from food, unless you are eating massive amounts or maximum amounts. In which case, do you.
The amount of protein you need depends on your age, weight and personal nutritional needs. It is especially important to make sure children and older adults get enough protein-rich foods.
That said, let’s leave behind the rampant use of added protein in processed foods, which may not be that healthy to begin with.
logic.
say goodbye to lububu
The plush toy/charm/collectible known as Labooboo has been around for a decade, but it’s only been in the last year or so that the thing has reached craze levels in America.
ChinaPop Mart begins US sales of cute little monsters on key rings in 2023. Now, they are everywhere. The lububu hashtag on TikTok and Instagram has turned into many search term combinations with millions of hits.
Boomers Down to Kids collect Laaboo and his friends, all of whom have pointy ears and serrated teeth. Blackpink’s Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Lisa have shown their magic. So are David Beckham and Dillon Brooks.
Thanks Kasing Lang. In 2015, the Hong Kong-born artist and illustrator who grew up in the Netherlands created a universe of characters and monsters for picture books inspired by the stories from Nordic mythology he enjoyed as a child.
Peak saturation has been achieved. The New Year might be the perfect time to say goodbye to the sun.
favoring the nth degree
“There is unrest in the forest. There is trouble with the trees. The maples want more sunlight. And the oaks ignore their pleas.”
Consider this illustration from the 1978 song “The Trees,” courtesy of a little band called Rush. Sound familiar?
If 2025 was anything, it was about taking sides, as opposed to, oh, let’s see, meaningful conversation, civil discourse. How about just plain courtesy?
We fought over the Cracker Barrel logo. The US government remained closed for a long time amidst big risks like politics and culture war in America.
We are a house that is afraid to take sides. We know all the issues. Will it take a generation to get us back to the table? Here’s hoping it happens sooner rather than later. Although it’s unlikely, we implore: do 2026 better.
“There’s trouble in the forest. And all the creatures have fled. As the maples scream, ‘Onslaught!’ And Oakes, just shake your head.”
you’re a barrel and you’re a barrel
They hug the hips. They become wider at the thighs. They reach the extreme circumference around the knees. They taper at the ankles.
So Vogue wrote in 2023 about barrel jeans, a surprising style then and now. The stakes for the divisive look got even higher when Alaia put them on the runway for fall-winter that year. There were others, too, some who said the look was reminiscent of jodhpurs and 1920s workwear.
As Vogue said, a lot of fashion editors liked her. Gigi Hadid and Blake Lively did the same. Could this have something to do with the belief that barrel pants look good on exactly one type of body: theirs? tall. slim. Long legged.
Here in 2025, the rest of us will try. We really, really do. For many people the amplified volume is very irritating.
So where will our pants go in the new year? Somewhere a little less, well, weird.
Dubai Chocolate, Oh Boy
When we weren’t navigating Labubu mania this year, what were we doing? Why, eating, making and buying Dubai chocolate, of course. Or some variant thereof.
Dubai Chocolate for 2025 is the same as it was during the pandemic lockdown. Relentless. And, really, does anyone like/need that much filling in a chocolate bar?
Pistachio cream, tahini and crunchy katafi pastries are what made for the original filling, which has wildly morphed into other flavor profiles and products, including milkshakes and brownies. AmazonTrader Joe’s, Walmart and Costco are profitable.
How did it all start? With pregnancy cravings for Sarah Hamouda, the British Egyptian co-founder of FIX Dessert Chocolatier. She wanted creamy, crunchy and familiar, and with the help of chef Noel Katis Ouamalin came up with the “Can’t Get Rid of It” chocolate bar in 2022.
Nafeh is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made of noodle-shaped toasted kataifi with a layer of cheese, soaked in sweet syrup. Katafi is a type of phyllo dough.
Hamouda and her husband, Yazen Alani, were working full-time corporate jobs in Dubai, but they quit when their chocolates took off around the world. He got a big help from ASMR TikToker Maria Wehera, who made her way into one of his bars in 2023.
Vehera’s video has been viewed more than 14 crore times.
Fill yourself with Dubai chocolate for now if you must. But let’s control the madness when it’s 2026, and the next big thing arrives.
over it runner up
I’m Available: Don’t be the person who is available 24 hours a day in the New Year. This is not good for your health, and it should not be necessary to get ahead in life. Break the cycle!
AI Slope: It seems like there’s no escaping the AI, so fix it. Quality matters. Effort matters. Substance matters. verboseness. Construction There will be no junk AI in 2026.
Secret little terms of agreement: Especially the ones that say, in their own words, “We can harass you with texts and emails forever, even if you unsubscribe.” Go!