If you’re anything like me, Christmastime feels like the most magical and exciting time of the year.
As soon as Halloween ends, life turns into a whimsical countdown until it is time to make the yuletide gay. However, spending the holiday season away from family for the first time (or honestly, at any point in life) can be devastating. Even with the holiday break in early December, studying for finals and travel time can chip away at time spent on precious family traditions, especially with the break falling after the beginning of Hanukkah. It can be easy to feel lonely and discouraged in college, so I’ve decided to drop some tips to help make your holiday season magical, while also on a budget!
Consider an Advent Calendar.
First created in the 19th century, advent calendars are often thought of as a “countdown to Christmas”, with each day providing a surprise treat. Contrary to popular belief, advent calendars are not just the chocolate dispensers of childhood — they can be fun at any age! You don’t even need to celebrate Christmas to enjoy this festivity every single day in December. Walmart has a great selection of advent calendars for any age, so be sure to check out their beauty box and Squishmallow editions!
decorate!
Back at home, my house was always brimming with holiday spirit as soon as Thanksgiving arrived. Our usual decorative setup included a glowing Christmas tree, a Christmas village collection spanning our windowsill, and singing animatronic snowmen! While that type of display is amazing for a typical house, Ithaca College rules restrict many of the necessary holiday items, as lighting a menorah or a Christmas tree can unfortunately both be fire hazards. However, there are still many amazing decorations that are highly dorm friendly. A real Christmas may be far too large for your dorm, but consider a smaller, fake Christmas tree to decorate instead! In addition to this, consider purchasing an LED bulb menorah to celebrate Hanukkah safely from within your own room! These are just two examples within an entire world of possibilities, so be sure to check out local stores for holiday themed lights, throw blankets, and even weighted stuffies to enhance the vibe!
Try a New Holiday Drink!
Similar to the anticipation of pumpkin spice season, the holidays bring their own mix of delicious new flavors to your favorite coffee shops! On November 5th, Dunkin unleashed their new holiday selection, a dazzling collection that includes a brand new refresher, peppermint mocha drinks, and even drinks themed after the upcoming Wicked movie! In addition to this, the highly acclaimed Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte and Chai returned to stores on November 6th. Making a day trip out of this occasion or even ordering in can be the perfect way to catch a holiday vibe, but there are also options on campus and in the commons to satisfy your taste buds! Paris Baguette offers the Cinnamon Sugar Churro Latte and the Holiday White Chocolate Mocha while on campus options are varied by location! Towers Eatery currently offers a peppermint mocha, and from time to time, Ithaca Bakery offers lattes with a frosted mint syrup option, which I highly recommend! Keep your eyes out for even more holiday themed drinks that are beginning to pop up at the different cafes!
Participate in a Gift Exchange!
One of the most enjoyable ways to feel the spirit of giving this holiday season is to set up a gift swap with friends. Secret Santa, White Elephant, or other gift exchanges don’t have to be complicated, especially with websites like Elfster to help assign everyone their gift-giver and even prompt the creation of wish lists, so buying is low stress! I generally try to establish a $20 or $30 maximum on all gifts for these exchanges, so that gift giving can be cheap and stress free for everyone. For years my theater company would do these exchanges during the rehearsal before break, so imagine how magical it would be to exchange gifts with friends during finals week!
Try a Holiday Themed Show or Movie.
During Halloween season, I watched more scary movies than I ever have in all my years living, and this is coming from the girl who wrote the article on non-scary movies. All that guts and gore consumption only lead me to become increasingly more excited for Halloween, and the winter holidays are no different! Generally, the Hallmark channel has a cheesy yet heartwarming collection of holiday themed romcoms to enjoy from November 1st onwards. And if you’re one for the classics, I truly believe it is never too early to watch Elf or the Polar Express! However, if you’re looking to switch things up this holiday season, I recommend giving Dash and Lily a shot! It’s a cozy, one season holiday watch on Netflix that will certainly get you into the holiday spirit without being too time consuming.
Practice Kindness Daily.
Although it sounds ridiculously simple, a little kindness really does go a long way! This time of year is all about giving and gratitude, so why not try to incorporate that into your every day routine. Little acts of kindness such as complimenting someone’s sweater, offering help on an assignment, or even leaving a grace period before taking someone’s clothes out of the laundry machines can really make a difference. Moreover, being kind to yourself is essential, especially on difficult days. Keeping a regular gratitude journal and giving yourself breaks when you need them are two basic examples of how to practice small acts of kindness towards yourself.
Call Home!
Missing home around the holidays is extremely common, but you don’t have to suffer alone. Staying in contact with family members or friends can help to alleviate homesickness even if it is just for a little while. Whenever I’ve felt sad or troubled at school, I’ve called my mom and I can guarantee that even when these calls didn’t fix everything, they left me feeling a little bit better. Spending the holiday season away from home for the first time can be difficult, but there is a good chance that those who love you are feeling it too. Stay in contact and you will be together again before you know it!
Overall, the holidays are what you make them out to be! You can have fun no matter where you are or what you do because these months are a time to take charge of your happiness on your own!