There is still time for the holidays

Emily Kemper | The Chronicle

For some, the holiday season starts as soon as the last trick-or-treaters disappear down the end of the street, but for me, they always began with a slice of leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast before heading out for Black Friday shopping. However, in the last few years, I have stayed bundled up in bed – finalizing my Amazon wishlist in preparation for Cyber Monday – instead of braving the unpredictable Ohio winter to do my holiday shopping in person. 

Of course, Black Friday is not going anywhere – it is still one of the most profitable days of the year for most major retailers. But the days where people camped outside of stores for hours or threw a few punches over deals are over. While I do not fault anyone for preferring to shop from their couch instead of in a stampede, I feel like this shift reflects something larger I’ve been feeling: I do not have time for the holidays. 

It is no secret that high schoolers are extremely busy, and as exams approach this December, that workload grows. It is natural that some traditions get pushed to the side, plans get canceled and the once magical lead up to winter break becomes just another month of the school year. And for the activities we still celebrate, we tend to take the easiest, least time consuming route possible – like ditching the malls to shop online. 

I do not think approaching adulthood should mean the holidays lose their magic and get reduced to a month of cold weather and stress. Yes, growing up means less time to spend playing in the snow, but we all need a study break every once in a while – why not spend it walking around the neighborhood? And why not make a hot chocolate to sip on while you are at it, and tell a family member how grateful you are for them while you wait for the stove to heat up? 

The spirit of the holiday season does not have to change – just the way we celebrate it. For me, that means being intentional about making room for holiday cheer in my schedule, and dedicating the month of December to spending as much time as I can with the people I love. It also means skipping the shortcuts, like having a long call on the phone with a distant relative or sending them a physical letter instead of a quick text. 

One way to add holiday cheer into your winter schedule is creating new traditions. As I’ve grown up I’ve gotten to make or participate in new traditions with my friends and family, such as going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The first time I went I remember wishing I could just go the next morning and be in my comfy bed at home, but once I was sitting in the pews and singing along to the hymns, I felt the happiest I had all winter long. So no matter what it is for you: trying ice-skating for the first time, baking a new treat, learning something new about your culture, or starting a gift exchange with your friend group – try something new this winter. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, or time consuming, or expensive, but it will definitely be worth it, and might stick around for years to come. 

I feel that no matter if you celebrate a holiday or not this time of year, it’s important to dedicate time in your life just to enjoy spending time with people. While the holidays and traditions are what bring us together, it’s the people we do them with that really matter. So even though it’s ten times faster to get my holiday shopping done on Amazon than at Target, I still choose to go and laugh as my mom buys every decoration her eyes land on, or get laughed at by my dad for running the cart into a display. 

I hope this December you can carve out some time to do something that brings you joy with the people you love. School, sports and clubs are all important – but the happy memories we make crammed inside crowded stores, mall pretzel in hand, will stick around a lot longer than the score we get on our math exams.