It’s December. My school has a Christmas tree (or two, or three) in every building, commercials on TV are all about the ongoing great holiday sales, and, perhaps most importantly, Starbucks has released their seasonal red cups.  All of this is meant to get us in the spirit, the holiday spirit….but what is that supposed to be exactly?  The beautifully adorned tree in the library only reminds me of the one short week I have left to complete the seemingly endless list of assignments I have left. The “cheery” advertisements are actively laughing at my empty bank accounts, taunting me with all of the great gifts that I can’t afford for the wonderful people in my life that deserve them.  And the Starbucks cups…well those are actually fine.

So is the holiday season actually a happy time, or does it supply more stress than joy?

It might seem cliche, but the answer lies in your perspective.  The goggles you choose to wear will affect how you experience this time of year.  For example, the same way the Christmas tree in the library can remind me of how little time I have left in the semester, it can also act as a reminder of the long and well-deserved break that is just around the corner. There’s no doubt that the commercialism of the holidays is stressful, and the expected annual shopping sprees is a definite blow to my wallet, but on the other hand how lucky am I to have such an amazing family and group of friends that I want to make happy with a thoughtful gift?  And of course, there’s nothing like a hot peppermint latte in a festive red cup to make you feel better.

This post is a bit of a departure from my usual topic choice, it’s really me wishing you a happy holiday season under the guise of an article.  Spend time with your loved ones, don’t sweat the small stuff, good luck on your finals, and be happy! Don’t let to-do lists cloud your spirit, make this the most wonderful time of the year!

Featured Image by Nubia Navarro on Pexels.com

Second image by Pixabay on Pexels.com