Most people’s favorite time of the year is summer. And what’s not to like about it? It’s sunny and warm, there’s freedom from school and we all get to pretend we live in Florida! It makes total sense. However, I’m going against the norm by saying my favorite time of the year is when it’s dreary and cold outside and we’re still in school. That’s right, November through January.
I was walking around Walgreens a few months back and realized they set out all the Christmas decorations the day after Halloween. That’s crazy. And why do they do this? I guess you could say it’s so the big money-making corporations can pocket a few extra dollars. But come on now, there’s a reason people are buying this stuff: they’re thrilled about the holidays.
Thanksgiving. That’s when it all starts. Who doesn’t love going to Grandma’s, stuffing your face all day, and then sleeping for hours? Wait a second though; you only get to sleep a few hours because the iPad that’s 75% off will motivate you to get back up at 3 a.m. to stand in line at Best Buy.
It’s Black Friday. Holiday shopping galore. Oh yes, there are sales on almost everything! There’s just something magical about spending your paycheck on gifts, isn’t there? And there’s not a person in the world who doesn’t act like a little kid in a candy store when they are holiday shopping.
When you open up the doors, the smells of the mall -- that new clothes smell and Mrs. Fields cookies -- consume you. You grab your Starbucks and run into Kohl’s. You look around and see every person checking the prices and drinking their coffee. Suddenly you realize that it is okay to be up at 5 a.m. because it’s the holidays and people are getting gifts for their friends and family.
Two weeks later, the aromas of your aunt’s special chocolate chip cookies draw you out of bed. And as you saunter downstairs, small, carefully wrapped presents catch your eye.
However, it’s not just the presents, candles, or cookies that make this time of the year better than all the other months. It’s also the people. You know, the people. The people who stand outside to raise money. The people who hold an extra door for an elderly person entering a grocery store. The people who donate to local charities. The students who step up to be WISH leaders. There must be something about the holidays that makes people want to stand out in the cold for 12 hours and raise money. Generosity is really what describes people around the holidays, especially the students at LHS.
Yes, after the bell rings and the doors slam shut to Libertyville High School the day before break it’s like living in the arctic tundra, but everyone still has a generally sunny smile on their face because it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
And, it’s snowing! Now you can sip hot cocoa when you’re preparing for finals over break. Yum. COME ON NOW, don’t tell me snow doesn’t bring back sentimental childhood memories of building snowmen or pretending to be the abominable snowman by tearing apart makeshift snow igloos.
My definition of a holiday is a time when joy is spread and family is cherished. We’ve all heard it before: "There’s no place like home for the holidays."
I know you can spend time with your family other times during the year too, but during the holidays, the feeling of contentment persists throughout the house and lies in everyone’s heart. Any differences anyone has have a way of vanishing because no one wants to fight during the greatest time of the year.
After a while, the holiday cheer fades away and the most wonderful time of the year ends, making the day after New Year’s just a normal day. There are no candles, no cookies, and fewer instances of giving. Yes, that is somewhat depressing, but remember, you only have to wait a roughly 340 more days until next year!
I mean, there’s something so romantic about the holidays. They are an expression of everyone’s joy. People just want to make the holidays better; they want to spread the holiday cheer and comfort others, which truly makes this time of the year the most wonderful of all.
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