My Favourite Thing About the Holidays

By Ayrwyn Cousins

For many people, their favourite thing about holidays is the presents they receive, and while I do enjoy the gifts, my favourite aspect of Christmas is the joyful atmosphere. For me, nothing beats the happiness and joy that surrounds Christmas. Normally the cold weather and snow get me down, but when December comes around everything feels different. Suddenly the cold is enjoyable, and the snow becomes necessary. Without snow, Christmas would not feel the same, or at least, not to me. Along with these changes, the nights become brighter because of all of the Christmas lights. There is no brighter and more colourful time than Christmas. Everyone seems to secretly agree that December is a happy month of giving and celebrating. Everyone decorates, becomes happier overall and treats each other with more kindness than usual. Once the atmosphere surrounding the holidays comes about, I can’t help but feel like a weight has been lifted off of me. My stresses evaporate and everything seems easier. Everyone is much more relaxed and comfortable around one another. Seeing my family and friends cheerful and bright is one of the most lovely feelings of all. The ‘atmosphere change’ makes everything bad go away, even if it’s just for a month. Being at university has taught me to appreciate the quieter moments, and the time you can spend with family. So I suppose that, along with the joyful atmosphere, seeing family is another aspect I love about Christmas. One tradition my mother and I have is decorating the tree. While I have slipped up a few times and missed it, decorating the tree with her is one of my favourite things to do. My mother's love for Christmas has definitely rubbed off on me. I hope you carry out the tradition with her specifically, and potentially with others in the years to come. Christmas is without a doubt my favourite holiday. Nothing beats seeing family and spreading holiday cheer.