How to Handle the Holiday Season

How+to+Handle+the+Holiday+Season

Catherine Goodman, Editor-In-Chief

When the skeletons and gravestones return to the closet, the costumes sink into junk drawers and the candy goes on sale, many find the temptation to immediately switch from Monster Mash to Jingle Bell Rock. Call me a grinch, but can we hit pause on the celebrations?

 

While I am no devoted fan of Thanksgiving, and I frankly find turkey the least desirable holiday food, I am a firm believer in the value of waiting until after the turkey has been stuffed to begin with the holiday chatter. 

 

There are 55 days separating Halloween and Christmas, with Thanksgiving roughly halfway in-between. Therefore, on the basis of simple mathematics, I do suggest we give each holiday its respective time in the spotlight. While there is no carolling of the bells, no candles lit and no presents given, Thanksgiving should still be recognized as its own holiday with its own traditions and value. I mean who doesn’t bask in the glory of the awkward table talk with your extended family? 

 

In a similar manner, I suggest that the inherent low attention span of human beings does not bode well for a prolonged holiday season. We are Home For The Holidays for only so long, and even in a Winter Wonderland our holiday spirit runs dry. I wholeheartedly believe that in order to ensure a lively holiday season, we must not stretch our resources so thin! 

 

In order to create an atmosphere of jubilance and familial comfort, we must respect the holiday season as it has been laid out. Like a road map, we must value each step, each tradition and each holiday on its own. 

 

Likewise, for the many who celebrate holidays beyond Christmas, the overwhelming display of Judeo-Christian symbolism can be disheartening. Therefore, this holiday season I urge everyone to not only give the adequate time and respect to their own celebrations, but also to respect and acknowledge those of other cultures and families. Who knows, maybe we can make the holiday season even longer.