With finals quickly approaching and the semester wrapping up, many of us are counting down the days until winter break. I’m sure we are all prepared for a much-needed break, so here are some tips on how to make the most out of the holiday season:
Enjoy the colorful lights
One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is the amazing lights. I make it a point to take drives to fully take in the colorful lights that are only present this time of year. I visit as many neighbors as I can to rank their light displays.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also features a light show throughout the zoo. They are well worth going out and walking in the cold air. It is so important to go out and truly enjoy the magical feeling this time of year always brings.
Get into the spirit through decorations and crafts
Decorating for the holidays, no matter what you celebrate, is always fun. Stringing up lights and decorations around your home makes the holidays just a bit more magical. Whether or not you put up a tree, just a few decorations in your home can help put you in a cheerful mood.
One of my favorite traditions is painting holiday-themed ceramics for decorations. It can surprise you how much fun it is to just put on a holiday movie and paint with friends or family. Not only is it a great way to spend time with the ones you love, but you also get a custom-made keepsake you’ll have for years to come.
Watch the corny holiday movies
I know many people roll their eyes and change the channel when they see the corny holiday movies Hallmark is playing, but I challenge them to sit down with some friends and family and fully embrace the cheesiness. They might actually enjoy them, or they might become an inside joke. Either way, it makes for a super fun activity that you can do with the people around you.
Celebrate holiday traditions with family
No matter how you celebrate each holiday season, make sure you cherish your time with your family. Coming home from college and being fully thrust back into your family home can be a lot to handle; however, it is important to fully enjoy it because before you know it, the spring semester will start.
Make sure you do the small holiday traditions your family has and experience them to the fullest. This time only comes around once a year and the years always fly by — you don’t want to regret not embracing them.
Don’t overwork yourself, enjoy the much-needed break
For many, the holiday break isn’t exactly a break. So many students continue to work and are still busy. If that is the case for you, remember to not overwork yourself. In an ideal world, everyone would be off for the holiday season but that doesn’t always happen. If you can, take advantage of your break, no matter how long, and use it the way you want.
Do you want to go out every day with friends? Go for it! Do you want to sit and watch TikToks all day? Go for it! Do you want to catch up on your sleep? Go for that too! Spend your break how you want to and enjoy it. Spring semester is quickly approaching and will be here before we know it, so give yourself a true break.
Haylee Leasure is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the opinions expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk about the column? Email Haylee at hl125421@ohio.edu.
