L: Sweaters are out, leaves are falling and Starbucks pumpkin drinks are in full swing—it’s officially fall! With Thanksgiving on the horizon and the weather beginning to cool, students are feeling the rigor rise in their classes and are looking forward to Thanksgiving break. It’s time to put on our flannels and embrace the autumn mentality!
C: Leah you forgot to wish everyone a Happy Holidays! Only 31 days, 21 hours, 24 minutes and 27 seconds until winter break starts. I get it, I’m still nostalgic for the summer weather too! But it’s time to get over it…bye bye warm weather and beginning of school vibes, and hello sweaters, hot chocolate and Hallmark movies! Wait, I almost forgot, I have to go gift shopping soon.
L: C’mon Cecilia, I think we can all agree that it’s wayyyyyy too early to be getting into the holiday spirit. Can’t we enjoy Thanksgiving first? Let’s embrace the gourds, pumpkins and scarecrows that are out and about before we jump into the snowflakes, lights and sugar cookies. Let Thanksgiving stand as its own holiday and allow this unique season to keep its spotlight!
C: Leah, November is truly one of the most boring months of the year (right after February of course). I know you know a thing or two about boring, but that’s beside the point! Think about how short the actual celebrations of these holidays are. Even Hanukkah, one of the longer holidays and one which we both celebrate, is just a little over a week! So why not maximize our celebration time and spend time with the ones we love? Baking cookies, enjoying decorations and fully embracing the holiday spirit for an extended period of time will make the actual holiday more enjoyable.
L: Yeah but Cecilia, it’s the WINTER holiday season. It’s not winter yet! The merry spirit that you’re talking about revolves around snow wishful thinking, heavy coats and cute mittens, none of which are around right now. No matter how much you may hate fall (although I still don’t understand why you’re such a hater), it is not an excuse to start an entire season early. It simply takes away from the winter season’s charm and meaning.
C: I’ll keep being a hater until you bring up good points. We both know how stressful the year is for students. It seems like tests and assignments all pile onto each other and we’re just looking for a break. That’s where having an early holiday mindset comes in—imagine coming home from a hard day and curling up with a warm blanket to watch “Elf”. There’s no better feeling! This can be really helpful to relieve stress and improve our mindset during the academic calendar. And honestly, I’d never turn down rewatching “Elf” for the millionth time.
L: Sure, the holiday season is a happy time but stretching it all the way into November dilutes the true excitement and spirit of the season. With such a long buildup to the true holidays, there may be less excitement when they actually come around. Furthermore, this prolonged period of time only increases the commercialization of the holidays, moving the focus to shopping instead of giving and joy.
C: The market frenzy of the holidays is one of the most stressful factors of the entire season. People spend hours shopping trying to find the perfect gift and many procrastinate this process, leading to jam-packed malls the day before Christmas. This kind of pressure can overshadow the holiday spirit, leading us to the obvious answer that we just need to extend the “appropriate shopping times.” Savoring the festivities will only lead to more meaningful moments and a chance to fully enjoy the spirit of the season with no rush.
L: I may never fully convince you of the correct opinion Cecilia, but we definitely won’t be decorating the journalism lab until at least Dec. 1. Let’s wait until the true start of winter to embrace the holiday spirit. For now, enjoy an early Thanksgiving gift and read the November issue of the Churchill Observer!
