What The Holiday Season Means To Me by Jessica Longstreth

With winter break fast approaching for this school year, I though it appropriate to discuss what this time of year means to me. I hope that some of you readers can relate to what I feel during this season.

The holiday season, Christmas in particular, has been greatly commercialized. Just think about the heaps of presents and the great amount of money that is poured into Christmas each and every year. According to the findings of the American Research Association, in 2015, holiday retail sales raked up 600 billion dollars. However, when I think about Christmas and the holiday season, my main focus is not on the presents, or getting the most expensive gift for my family and friends -- these are just material things. Sure, I still get small gifts for my family and friends, and it's always nice to receive a gift from my loved ones. But my point is that the gifts are not the sole highlight of my winter break.

True holiday season in my family starts as early as Thanksgiving. What do I mean by true holiday season?  Well, I mean that theses are the times when I get to spend time with family members. Whether I see them often or rarely, this is the time of year when we all get to see each other once again. This aspect of the holiday season is perhaps my favorite. It's taking the time to have fun with my family and closest friends during this time that fills me with the most joy. Also, it doesn't hurt that holiday break is just a nice relief from the stresses of the normal school week. It allows me to take some time for myself and watch my favorite Christmas movie, Elf, or curl up on the couch with some hot chocolate. Speaking of delicious hot chocolate, I can't forget the other great part about the holiday season -- lots and lots of food!

So now I ask you, the reader, what does this holiday season mean to you? Look past the elaborate gifts. What brings you joy this holiday season?