How to get into the holiday spirit

Winter is finally here, and it’s time to get rid of the fall decorations and get ready for what’s next. But what will you do next? Here are a few ideas of what you can do to decorate your home and get you into the winter season and holidays.

The first thing is simple and is done by most people who celebrate Christmas – put up a Christmas tree! Now with the Christmas tree, there are many things you can do to make it your own fun tree or a traditional, more modern tree. Some ideas include using colorful, bright lights that will make your tree look fun for Christmas, or some simple white lights that make for a classic, modern-looking tree. Now for the decorations, there are many things you can put on your tree like homemade or store-bought ornaments. Senior Katie Hernandez agreed,  “I like to decorate with ornaments.” No matter what you choose, they will make a big impact on the look of your tree and are a great way to get you to feel the Christmas spirit.

Not feeling the Christmas spirit yet? Here are some fun activities you can do to get into the merry spirit. One fun and creative thing you can do with friends and family is making gingerbread houses, suggests Kaelyn Thomas. “I like to make gingerbread houses during Christmas time. Making gingerbread houses is a great fun and easy thing to do with anyone. The best part is you can be as creative as you want to be when making the gingerbread house! And to make it even more fun you can have competitions with your friends and family.”

Another fun thing you can do with friends and family is going to see Christmas lights. During this time of year, there are many places you can go to see fun and bright Christmas lights. Here in Columbia, we have the Symphony of Lights at Merriweather featuring over 300,000 bulbs! Shows run through the end of the year, and part of the proceeds benefit the Howard County General Hospital. 

Bored at home? Or maybe you have nothing to do on a snow day? Junior Erica Henn suggests “Drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies is a great thing to do.” She added that personally Home Alone was one of the best movies to watch during the holiday season. I think The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the best festive movies to watch as well.

Still bored at home? Well, another thing to do to get you in the Christmas spirit and help you have fun is decorating your room. During this time of year, there is so much you can put to decorate your home and your own space. I love decorating my room with lights and a mini Christmas tree. Some other ideas of what you can use to decorate your room are garlands, hanging snowflakes, and maybe even putting up a little Santa Claus in your room.

However you choose to get into the holiday spirit, I hope you enjoy the season with friends and family!