It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas?
It is starting to get cold and autumn-like at CBU — making me very excited. I have rummaged through my scarf collection and dusted off my boots for fall. Autumn is not typically one of my favorite times of the year, though. One of the reasons I love CBU is because it is 75 degrees in the winter. However, for some reason, this year the cold is making me very sentimental.
Candles, scarves, pumpkin-flavored things and the cold weather remind me of my family and all of our holiday traditions. I never realized until recently how much scents affected how sentimental I can get. Every time I smell a yummy candle or baked goods straight from the oven, it makes me feel like I am home at Christmas-time.
Just like most other families, we have some traditions. We always start listening to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. I always try to convince my dad that Christmas music should not be played in November, but somehow I can never persuade him. Next, the Christmas decorations go up. We always decorate to the tune of some classic Christmas music like Bing Crosby or the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which puts us in the Christmas mood. My family likes to have the wood stove roaring, making my house warm and cozy.
When I was younger, I used to take some of these traditions for granted. However, now that I am on my own at college, I appreciate all the activities and hominess of my family. I have a big craving to bake lots of sweet goodies like my mom would for the holidays, and decorate my apartment so it feels like home. One of my favorite things to come home to at my apartment is my pumpkin-spice scented air-freshener that makes my room smell like Christmas.
I think the reason holidays mean so much more to me now than when I was younger is because I do not get to be with my family as often. My hometown is far away from CBU, so holidays are the main time I get to visit my family. Being away at college makes me more thankful for the things that I would not necessarily be very conscious about otherwise.
As the holidays start to draw near, remember to be thankful for your families and the time you get to spend with them. Being with the people you love is a privilege, and having traditions makes family time really close to your heart.
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