As a college student, there are many reasons why the Holiday Season is my favorite. Finals are thankfully over and I only have a few days to worry about how I did before it's completely final and goes on my transcript. Oh, and I get to spend time with family and people I haven't seen in months, the food is amazing, and it feels like nothing could go wrong.
Every time the holidays come around, it feels like there's magic in the air. Like I said, it feels like nothing could go wrong. And since I never come during Thanksgiving or anything else, it's the one time people are rushing to see me, because they don't know when they'll get to hug me next or tell me how much I've grown or how much they miss me. And it's such a short amount of time, there's no real obligation for me to do much other than be at family functions and act like a semi-normal human person. I do try to get back on a regular sleep schedule, but that always ends up being useless anyway.
Nonetheless, the few weeks I have with my family are some that I treasure for the upcoming semester. And we have some traditions that I particularly look forward to, as they are things that are exclusive to the holidays.
Christmas Morning Scavenger Hunt
This one started at my Dad's house when I was thirteen and he wanted to make Christmas morning a little more exciting. He and my stepmother left clues and clues that took us all over the apartment and even made us get on our emails (at a time where we didn't have phones to check it on) to get which presents under the tree were ours. This started a trend, and I hope it turns into a tradition that I share with my kids, because it's really fun.
Getting Dressed Up To Sit in Someone's Living Room
This isn't just our family, of course, but it's still one of my favorite traditions. I don't know where it comes from, but it's just a fact of life. Every Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and Epiphany Eve, I spend at least an hour getting ready, doing my hair and make up and picking a semi-formal outfit to wear while sitting in either my own living room or a close relative's and talking. And everyone else does this, too. It's fun.
Amazing Food Prepared by Everyone
Every place has different foods that are especially for the holidays, and my favorites include pork, rice and beans or peas, tostones, coquito and cake. Obviously, my tastes differ from other Puerto Ricans, but I enjoy going to people's houses and eating as much as I can, because I know once I go back to Ohio and the holidays are over, I won't get any of that amazing deliciousness for another year.
Getting the Presents "Santa" Left at a Great Aunt's House
Having a huge extended family means everyone thinks of everyone, and the pile under the tree, especially on Christmas, is a lot bigger than you would expect it to be. I've gotten Christmas presents in March, because this aunt didn't see my grandma till a month later, and then of course grandma didn't get to visit till a few weeks after that, and the cycle goes on and on. But it's always really nice to know so many people think of you as family, and to be part of such a big community.
Getting to See People Again
There are a lot of extended family members that I see exactly once a year: at Christmas. And I love seeing them again and catching up, and they love hearing about what I've been doing at school.
I love my family and I love the holidays. It's amazing how just a few weeks together can reenergize me and get me ready for the next semester.
