When mid-November rolls around, a new buzz of excitement starts to fill the cool air on campus; the thoughts of going home and finally getting to escape school for a bit racing through everyone’s minds. Slowly, Christmas songs start to play on the radio and people are anxiously awaiting home cooked meals. The holiday season is always brimming with happiness and genuine warmth, a slice of the year set aside for celebrating what matters most; though, sometimes, it can be difficult in the midst of everything going on to step back and appreciate all the great aspects of this season. Here are five special things about the holidays.
1.) Being Able to Catch Up With Family
There are always plenty of jokes about how people don’t want to deal with all their nagging family member’s questions and inquiries into their life. When we go home for the holidays, however, it’s the perfect opportunity to rekindle relationships and build upon foundations previously created with your family members—ask them how work is going, or if they ever got around to doing the project they were telling you about. It will make them feel good that you remembered and that you care to ask. Even with immediate family, it’s nice to hang out with siblings or go on coffee runs with mom or have long talks with dad. Even if they don’t quite show it, they’re happy to have you home again.
2.) Getting to Eat All the Food
Yes, we do have the number one dining halls throughout college campuses in the United States, and yes we should be appreciative, but really, no matter what, dining hall food gets tiresome and never ever compares to a home cooked meal. Especially a home cooked meal that is taking place around the holidays. There are the appetizing hor d’oeurves and the tasty desserts, pies and cookies and cake. But of course, there are the heaping plates of steaming entrees set up in lines across the table, all made right in the kitchen throughout the whole day, making the house smell like mouthwatering food. And with a big homemade meal and family, the table will be filled with conversation and laughter.
3.) The Warmth it Brings (Despite the Cold Weather)
There is just something about twinkling lights dotting pine trees along the road, the smell of a radiating fire, the taste of hot cocoa and being able to experience it all with ones you love. The holiday season is about appreciation and giving, it is about taking a step back and realizing all you have to be thankful for in your life—sometimes it’s nice when all of your family is in one room together, to stand on the outskirts and just watch them—the laughter and the mannerisms of the people you love most will make your heart melt with gratefulness that you were put on this earth with these wonderful people. If something at school was dragging you down and making you feel worthless, being immersed in family at home will lift your spirits back up to where they need to be.
4.) Being Able to Relax
Especially at this time of year, school can start to get very stressful. Maybe the week before break you had an abundance of exams and papers and assignments and the thought of leaving sounded like paradise. Maybe school work was light, but issues with your friend group were starting to arise, so you felt like a nice break from each other was very much needed. Whatever it may be, there is nothing like coming home and being able to sleep in your own bed (and actually have room to move around), having no responsibilities, being able to go to some of your favorite places and reconnect with your high school friends.
5.) The Music
Okay, okay, so Christmas music can be pretty controversial, meaning there is really no in between – you either love it so much you start listening to it the minute fall rolls around, or you hate it so much that you can’t even listen to the radio during the holiday season. Personally, I love Christmas music; it’s so cheerful and bubbly and perfectly encapsulates all the feelings everyone experiences during the holidays. Also, it’s funny to watch people argue over whether or not Christmas music should be played before thanksgiving. And to all the haters out there, I’m pretty sure we have caught you secretly singing along to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas is You,” because who can really resist?