With Christmas being only 41 days away, I have begun to get into the holiday spirit. Ever since I was a baby, my house has always been decorated by mid-November. My mother grew up in Ukraine, where she and her family did not celebrate Christmas. My father initially sparked the Christmas spirit in her, but now, she does it all independently. “Christmas is a time to express your love and gratitude…and the best way to do so is through decorations and for as long as possible,” my mom explained when I asked her why she decorates in November. Since my family decorates at such a time, I figured everyone else is like that too. I asked my physics teacher, Mr. Z, about when he starts decorating for Christmas: “The week of December 1st. What’s the rush? A month is enough time to set up the decorations,” he replied. While his schedule is only about a week off of mine, I feel it is still a drastic difference.

After hearing Mr. Z’s response, my curiosity led me to ask a couple more of my peers that same question, and the answers varied quite a bit. I got replies from “Pshh! The day after Halloweekend,” to “The week of Thanksgiving, so my company can enjoy the tree,” to “Obviously sometime in the beginning of December,” to “Ummm, what day is Christmas again?” Although I was shocked to see how different everyone’s replies were, I guess that everyone celebrates the holidays differently because they adapt to their parents’ traditions. The Christmas season is a time for traditional activities, filled with anything that feels like home. As I am thrilled with how my family celebrates Christmas, I am sure everyone else is just as thrilled. Starting to decorate and celebrate Christmas, whether it is earlier or later than others, is a personal decision that reminds people of their childhood in an aspect that feels right just to them. I think that is what truly makes the Christmas spirit.