Christmas is was just around the corner, and though Christmas music has been blasting in our dorm since November 1st, the last few weeks right before break felt infused with an extra dose of cheer. I spent the time after Thanksgiving and before Christmas both cramming for finals and basking in the holiday spirit. The joy, the merriness, it’s all amazing! As a Muslim, I don’t actually celebrate Christmas, but it’s still my favorite time of the year. For me, it’s impossible to resist the charm of Christmas for all of the reasons below.
-
The lights
As someone who loves bright things, seeing Christmas lights go up is a joy in and of itself. Christmas decorations spice up any street whether it’s blow up dolls of Santa and reindeer or colorful lights. I may not put up any lights myself, but I am definitely judging every house I drive by on its decorations. I didn’t get the chance to check out the Miracle on 34th Street in Hampden this year, but the lights and decorations look worthy of a 10. Christmas lights really make the joy of the season seem larger than life.
2. Giving gifts
https://www.fjackets.com/blog/christmas-gifts-for-parents/
My favorite part of the winter holiday season is participating in Secret Santa with my friends and family. I love picking out the perfect gifts for the people I care about and surprising them with a personalized or even homemade gift. It’s also really nice when I receive gifts from my friends despite the fact that it’s not my own holiday. That just goes to show that the spirit of gift-giving is for everyone, no matter what faith system you follow!
3. Chinese food and movie theaters
Whether it be summer break or winter break, I usually lose track of the date while I binge on Netflix and popcorn. So honestly, most years I enjoy the buildup to Christmas season, but the day can come and go without me even noticing. But when it is Christmas day and my family wants to go out, the staples are ordering Chinese food and then seeing a good movie in theaters. It’s well known that Jewish people often eat Chinese food on Christmas Eve and Christmas because Chinese food is kosher, but actually kosher food can be halal too. So Chinese food on Christmas is a Muslim tradition, too! I want to thank Chinese food restaurants and movie theaters for always being open on Christmas: we appreciate your good food and quality entertainment!
I love my own Muslim holidays, Ramadan and our two Eids. But I also love the holiday season because it’s nice to see everyone infected with the same holiday joy. The magic of Christmas might be all that’s holding me through finals season.