In today’s world, the Christmas season can begin as early as Halloween — department stores have been decorated, Starbucks has revived the ever popular holiday drinks and radio stations have entirely dedicated themselves to Christmas music all beginning in November.
But what truly makes this “the most wonderful time of the year?”
Dec. 25 is just another day on the calendar, but it’s the many traditions associated with it that makes Christmas such a special and anticipated time for everyone.
There are also many traditions, both national and worldwide, that transcend personal lives and bring larger communities together in the Christmas spirit. These traditions, no matter how small, are what really make us count the days.
One of the most obvious of these is Christmas music. Local radio station 94.5 WLQT-FM started playing Christmas music at the beginning of November, and a few popular holiday tunes could be heard playing throughout campus even earlier than that. No matter how each person celebrates the season, anyone can all hum along to these traditional tunes that bring the world together in the holiday spirit.
Next, what would the holidays be without the abundance of cheesy, made-for-TV movies that are played at every hour of the day? Just about everyone anxiously anticipates ABC Family’s annual “25 Days of Christmas” that combines both classic holiday films and some cheesy yet inspiring made-for-TV specials. It streams live online, so no worries that UD doesn’t get the channel.
And while we’re on the subject, who doesn’t look forward to TBS’s annual 24 hours of “A Christmas Story” on Christmas Eve? This is yet another tradition that brings people together throughout the country through one of the most celebrated holiday films of all time.
These popular traditions are celebrated throughout the country, and bring people together on a larger scale than any of our family traditions can. On a smaller yet still notable scale, UD students celebrate many of their own traditions that show off the most noted aspect of the school — community.
For example, every year there is a house decorating contest in the student neighborhoods. This tradition stirs friendly competition while also lighting up The Ghetto and making the campus even more beautiful.
Ugly Christmas sweater parties are another famed tradition, especially here at UD. Anyone that happened upon the student neighborhood this past weekend surely must have noticed the abundance of these lovely sweaters. The few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break bring the stress of finals, but also welcome the celebration of the holidays in style.
Finally, the most significantly celebrated UD tradition of all: Christmas on Campus.
This annual event that allows students to “adopt” local children for an evening and give them a Christmas experience they may not otherwise get the opportunity to have. Not only does it give students a day off from classes, but it gives students a chance to give back to the outside Dayton community and feel good about celebrating the season.
It is easy to see why the season is anticipated — these traditions, whether celebrated nationwide or simply at UD, are what truly make it the most wonderful time of the year.
