With winter break fast approaching, it’s important to acknowledge that though break is a time to sleep and not think about school, work, and tests, it’s also an opportunity to spend time in the present with family and friends. 

Lexington High School has students from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures. When I asked others what they did or liked about winter break, I figured that there would be a wide array of holidays and celebrations that people participated in, including classics like Christmas and Hanukkah.

One of my friends said that he loves Christmas because of his family getting together and having a good time. Seeing relatives, getting presents from people he loves, gorging on warm chocolate cookies, watching classic Christmas movies like Home Alone, drinking eggnog, sipping on hot chocolate, seeing bright and colorful decorations around town and throughout the house, and most importantly “the unspoken peace” between everyone just enjoying themselves.

Another one of my friends who spends the last day of Hanukkah at her Jewish friend’s house said she loved helping light the last light on the menorah as well as playing dreidel and eating delicious food like latkes. Spending time with friends and family makes her winter break complete and fulfilled.

Along with religious celebrations comes a vast array of vacation destinations. Escaping the winter flurries for hot beaches or visiting family in other countries is a popular choice for the holiday season due to the week–and-a-half-long break from school. Of course, there are others who travel to more classic winter destinations, opting to hit the slopes instead of bathing in the sun.

During my winter break, I like to spend time at typically crowded places because most people are either traveling or at home celebrating—Skiing on Christmas morning when there are no lines, just me and the rolling white mountains, or even buying advent calendars of chocolate the day after Christmas. Both of these allow me to fully capitalize on the holiday. I obviously make sure to spend time with family, hang out with friends, and catch up on all the sleep I missed from writing essays and preparing for science tests.

Then, there’s one of the biggest celebrations over break that concludes the end of the year and marks the start of what is typically thought of as a clean slate. Full of the phrase “New Year, New Me!” New Year’s Day is a big highlight of winter break, and I do enjoy the excuse to stay up late and party for no particular reason.

For this break, I suggest ensuring you can spend time with friends, family, and loved ones. If you’re not one for the festivities, maybe light a nice-smelling candle and bake a few cookies with someone close to you. Nothing too crazy, just a little something to have some fun. Remember to forget about all your school work and take a break from technology to really treat this winter break as what it is: a break. Sometimes we get caught up in everything, so it’s essential that we take this time to decompress and relax with people and activities that really matter.