WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Simply put, here’s a few friendly reasons why Christmas exceeds all else.
1. Finals are over. After cramming for exams and writing never-ending papers through all hours of the day and night…you can finally relax. Finals make you sleep deprived, busy, and overall, an angry person.
2. Family. I know you just saw them at thanksgiving but since most of us are away at college for so long, it is really nice to spend some quality time with the family.
3. Cookies. If you don’t have the pampered chef cookie press, I suggest you head to Bed Bath and Beyond. Not only is this the easiest, most efficient way to make Christmas sugar cookies, but along with the press, pampered chef shares their secret recipe in the box. To die for.
4. Christmas Music. Weather you prefer the glee holiday Pandora station or the old classics, Christmas music is that one thing I wait twelve months for, every year. In fact, I’m singing out loud right now.
5. Move over pumpkin spiced lattes, peppermint mocha is here to stay. America runs on Dunkin, or Starbucks, whichever you prefer; they both make peppermint mocha, so have no fear! Forget about coffee, Starbucks’ holiday peppermint brownie cake pop is just unfair. I don’t want a bite of cake that tastes like that, I want the whole cake…rude.
6. ABC Family’s 25 days of Christmas. Christmas movies are everything. From The Grinch to Bad Santa there are so many classics you cannot possibly watch them all in the month of December. Which is exactly why the 25 days of Christmas comes in handy. ABC’s annual programming block leads up to Christmas with some of the most beloved, classic Christmas films.
7. Giving back. Adopt a family for Christmas that can’t afford presents. The Valley Home Care “adopt a family” program is a good option, and if you do it with friends or family it isn’t that much money per person, plus you can really have a huge effect on a family’s Christmas. Once you decide to adopt a family, they give you a brief description of the family and provide you with the names, sex, and ages of all its’ members. The program also tells you what they would like for Christmas and it’s mostly grocery store gift cards and things that we all take for granted. Christmas is about giving so this Christmas, help out a family that really needs it.
8. Black Friday/Cyber Monday. With the exception of the high fashion designers that are way too elite to ever go on sale, pretty much everything is 20-50% off. This is a great day to get all your Christmas shopping done, saving you hundreds of dollars.
9. Decorating. The day after thanksgiving, everyone loves stripping their homes of all of the fall decorations and breaking out the tree and everything that goes along with it. Deck the halls!
10. Presents. You were thinking it, I just said it. I’m not totally shallow, I’m also referring to giving gifts. Picking out presents for other people is fun and thoughtful, if you want it to be. It’s not about how much you spend, but thinking about what that person would really love. For example, my roommate loves Michael Kors, but she also loves Nutella. Because I’m a poor college student, I have to take the Nutella option because after Cyber Monday, my checking account balance is approximately .23 cents.
11. Candles. Bath and Body Works vs. Yankee. Tis’ the Season, from Bath and Body Works is a must have, but so is White Christmas from Yankee Candles. Fresh Balsam anything = perfect.
12. Food. Whether its a big Italian dinner or a classic roast in the oven accompanied by mashed potatoes and string beans… you’re pretty much guaranteed a good meal on Christmas…and Christmas eve for that matter. And deserts…anyone’s mouths watering Chocolate cake, pies, ice cream…Ugh, only 20 more days.
So there you have it! Now, try to tell me Christmas isn’t your favorite holiday; if so, getting through these next couple weeks is going to be very difficult. I wish you all safe and happy holidays! See you next semester!
