The winter holiday season is a fan favorite for many Oak Park High School students. Whether it be the food, family time, presents or time off of school, Christmas brings back warm memories and something to look forward to after a packed first semester.
As anticipation for Christmas builds, you may see many people around Oak Park already getting into the holiday spirit. Houses are decorated around neighborhoods, trees are lit, stores are releasing their Christmas collections and the smell of gingerbread is in the air.
But under the surface of all this excitement is a heated discussion. What about Thanksgiving and the rest of the fall season? When is the right time to trade pumpkin for peppermint and sweaters for ski jackets?
Winter break is quickly approaching and OPHS students are debating when the Christmas season truly starts.
According to an Instagram poll sent out by the Talon, 43% of respondents think the holiday season already started on Nov. 1, while 32% think it begins the day after Thanksgiving. There were supporters for Dec. 1 as well, but the majority stood between Nov. 1 and Nov. 29.
“November is fall. After that, then you have Christmas, then you have winter,” sophomore Josie Bartz says. “Mariah Carey needs to stay in her lane.”
Other OPHS students share Bartz’s discontent with the premature holiday season. Freshman Jacob Fajardo is one of them, in agreement with a strict division between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“You shouldn’t [celebrate] a holiday before the previous holiday happens,” Fajardo said.
But not everyone is supportive of this decision. Junior Persy Ferry is a believer in Christmas on Nov. 1, with exceptions.
“Christmas starts on November 1st but Thanksgiving Break is fall,” Ferry says. “Then it goes back to Christmas.”
Even though student opinions may differ on when the holiday season starts, they can all agree on one thing. They love the comforting, cozy feeling in the air and the revival of favorite traditions that come with it.
“I like ice skating or baking cookies,” Ferry says.
There are many things to look forward to when the snow–or in our case rain–starts falling. Everyone has their unique traditions that make Christmas special to them.
“Mashed potatoes . . . that’s the best part of all holidays,” Bartz says.
While the U.S. begins preparations for Christmas months in advance and the average American spends upwards of $900 on gifts, travel and other activities, other countries and cultures hold their own holiday celebrations.
“When I lived in Brazil we would do a ton of things. We would have a specific lunch that we would do up at my grandma’s house, and then after the lunch, all the kids would get the presents,” senior Luigi Cerqueira said. “My favorite thing to do is the food; we get the very special event kind of food and my mom’s an amazing cook.”
Whether their holiday season lasts two weeks or two months, whether their traditions are old or new, OPHS students are excited to have time to reconnect and enjoy the winter season.
