As students grow up, many begin celebrating winter holidays earlier. Holiday decorations are sold in October, holiday movies start to play on TV before Halloween and many companies start selling holiday foods and drinks at the beginning of November.
Freshman Victoria Duenas-Zelaya celebrates Christmas in the winter. To celebrate, Duenas-Zelaya decorates her house with her mom and watches Christmas movies to get in the Christmas spirit.
According to Duenas-Zelaya, Christmas time begins the day after Halloween. She believes she has started to celebrate Christmas earlier the past few years.
“I have started to celebrate Christmas earlier as I got older because when I was younger, I enjoyed Halloween more and dressing up for that but now I just look forward to being inside, staying warm and preparing for Christmas,” Duenas-Zelaya said.
Some students, however, wait until closer to the holiday to start celebrating.
Junior Stella Taylor celebrates Christmas in the winter like Duenas-Zelaya, but she waits until after Thanksgiving to start celebrating.
“I celebrate Christmas at the same time every year because my family really likes Thanksgiving and we don’t like to celebrate a holiday until its month hits,” Taylor said, “Also, we often don’t always have the time to put up the decorations and celebrate before December.”
Thanksgiving is Taylor’s favorite holiday. She refuses to drink any holiday drinks from places like Starbucks and Dunkin’ who release their holiday menus during the first few days of November.
“I would rather wait to celebrate until after Thanksgiving and I will continue to wait when I am older,” Taylor said.
As the time from when a student starts to celebrate a holiday and the holiday itself rises, so does the belief in Seasonal Affective Disorder of “seasonal depression.” Seasonal depression is when someone feels less energized and more moody as fall turns into winter and there is less daylight.
Many teens and adults believe the idea of seasonal depression affecting teens may cause them to celebrate holidays earlier because they have something to look forward to in the winter.
“I think seasonal depression has to do with students celebrating Christmas earlier because people use the holidays as a distraction with something to look forward to,” Duenas-Zelaya said, “Also with the holidays, people make staying at home a lighter thing.”
The debate about when the right time to celebrate the holiday season continues among many students, but more and more students are gradually lengthening the holiday season by celebrating earlier each year.
