We often wonder what the best of the holiday season includes. Is it the decorations? The movies? The traditions? Listed below are 26 of my favorites of the
holiday down below. How many of them are your favorites?
Animals
— After being away from my pets for so long, I am too excited to race home to see my animals. Whether it’s a dog, a cat, a lizard, or a fish, everyone can relate to missing one animal they know.
Black Friday
— The holidays are a time for sales and shopping. Black Friday comes with the best sales of the year, with up to 50% off in most stores and free shipping online. Who doesn’t love a good deal?
Cookies
— The holiday season comes with the best cookies of the year: snickerdoodle, sugar, gingerbread, and snowball cookies. The best part is that you almost never make them; your only job is to eat the cookies.
Decorations
— The only reason you know the holiday season is upon us are the twinkling lights, the wreaths, the blowup snowmen in the front yard, and the menorah and Christmas trees through the window.
Eggnog
— Everyone’s favorite holiday drink: eggnog. Although controversial over how well it’s made or which kind to get, everyone expects to see it on shelves and in fridges every holiday season.
Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas
— Even those that don’t celebrate Christmas can admit to watching at least one movie every year from Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas. I know I have at least 5 movies in my calendar to remind me when my favorite movies are on.
Gingerbread
— Whether they’re houses or men, gingerbread is on everyone’s holiday to-do list. After finals, I plan on having a gingerbread making contest with my little sisters and brother.
Hot Chocolate
— Almost everyone’s favorite memory as a kid is coming inside after being in the snow, and drinking what? Hot chocolate. Not old enough for coffee and not wise enough for tea, hot chocolate is everyone’s go to drink in the winter.
Ice skating
— I make it a goal to go ice skating at least once a year. Usually during winter break, I go with a group of friends for a few hours just to fall on my butt laughing. The ice may be hard, but my heart sure isn’t.
Joy of the Season
— Everyone’s favorite season may not be winter (like me), but everyone can still feel the pure joy radiating off of everyone during the season. Whether someone is shopping, volunteering, gift wrapping, or spending time with loved ones, everyone is happy to be a part of the season.
Kissing Under the Mistletoe
— If you have a significant other, you know the joy of kissing them under the mistletoe. The happiness, the love, and the season makes every couple flourish.
Laughter
— When getting together with family and friends, everyone shares a few laughs. Whether it’s through a pie eating contest, tripping over people, or jokes being told around a fire, laughter is the best medicine to get you through the season.
Music
— The thing everyone looks forward to during the season. Mariah Carey’s hit, Ariana Grande’s “Santa Baby”, Sia’s new holiday album, and the age-old classic “Silent Night”. What a time to be alive with all of this holiday music.
Night Before Christmas
— I don’t know about you, but Christmas Eve in my family is pretty important. It’s when my siblings exchange gifts and my mom’s extended family comes to exchange gifts. Other than Christmas Day, it’s one of my favorite days of the year.
Ornaments
— They can either be flashy or simple, but every ornament is unique to its own. For example, I just got this adorable gold tree for my dorm room, and silver ornaments glitter on it every time the light goes on. Each ornament is always put on with such care, no matter the household.
Presents
— No matter the religion, each person gets some type of gift during the holiday season. Whether it’s Secret Santa, yankee swaps, Christmas, etc., each person always receives one gift that’s unique to them.
Quilts
— Everyone always has that one special blanket they snuggle up with on a coldwinter’s day. Personally, mine is a grey fluffy blanket that a friend gave me as a graduation gift; I use it every time I get chilly.
Relatives
— My favorite part of the season: seeing my relatives. Because my cousins don’t live very close to me, I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two occasions where I get to spend the day with them, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.
Sledding
— I usually use a plastic, rectangular sled from Walmart, but so many different types of sleds are used. In dorms, the most popular ones are cardboard boxes and plastic bins (they work surprisingly well).
Traditions
— My favorite tradition comes with Christmas. I open presents with my mom and siblings in the morning, and am at my Grandma’s house for 11am to do a Yankee Swap with my extended family. For 2pm, I’m at my dad’s ready to open gifts with him and my stepmom, and then back home that night to spend the rest of Christmas with my mom. It’s my favorite day of the year.
Ugly Sweaters
— The best thing to see during the holidays. The quotes, the pictures, or maybe the material. Every part of an ugly sweater is my favorite. Hopefully, I can snag one this year to have.
Volunteering
— There’s something about the holidays that makes the number of people you know that volunteer skyrocket. I volunteer year round, but I definitely think
the extra acts of kindness people give or the time they give to volunteer places increase because of how thankful people get.
Winter Wonderland
— It hasn’t happened in Massachusetts twice yet, but we are all waiting for the snow. Every winter, I’m reminded of the 2009 Blizzard, where there was two weeks off from school, and all I can remember is playing in the snow with my sisters and drinking a cup of hot chocolate to warm up after.
Xtra Special
— The holidays are special to everyone. For some, it involves the traditions. For others, it involves the delicious food. For everyone, there’s always kindness that goes around to make the holiday “X”-tra special.
Year in Review
— For New Year’s, it’s important to look back on your year. How you’ve grown, how you can continue to grow, if you can improve upon any part of your life. Remember to take a step back and review everything that’s happened in the past year to make the next year a better one.
Zero Regrets
— No matter what, however, have zero regrets. You’ve spent the past year trying to be the best person you can be, and nothing can change that. Let’s cheer to a better new year, and another year of joy.