Do it Yourself Holiday Spirit
by: Becca Clark
Winter break is approaching, and I for one have been counting down the days since Thanksgiving. Now that our two week vacation is only 9 days away, I’m sure many have joined in on my excitement. For some their holidays have already passed and for others they are fast approaching but no matter what you celebrate, the holiday season is a great time to start giving back, spend time with loved ones and drink all the peppermint hot chocolates physically possible. Looking around the school, most of what I see are seniors stressing out over college, juniors obsessing over standardized tests, sophomores preparing for their next AP World test, and freshman… doing whatever they do. Now that winter break is in our sights, we all need to get into the holiday spirit. Lucky for you, I have a list of fun and easy tips for how to get that holiday cheer.
No matter what you celebrate, classic christmas movies are a great way to get in the mood. Some of my personal favorites include:
- “Elf” a tale that follows Will Ferrell, better known as Buddy the Elf, who leaves the North Pole to go find his father in New York city. While there, he goes on many wild adventures to places such as the mall, a department store display window, the Empire State Building and many other places. The hour and 37 minutes it takes to watch this classic is definitely well spent and easy way to spice up any boring afternoon.
- “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Jim Carrey is the star of the movie… need I say more? If you’re not already excited, this movie is a fun, heart warming story of a green, bear-like, furry man who tries to steal Christmas. The citizens of Whoville love christmas, but the Grinch, now a recluse, never had the holiday spirit. Now a bitter, middle aged man wants to take that spirit away from all the whos so they feel just like he did. Along with his sidekick Max, their plan to take their Christmas spirit take a turn. This classic is a must-see holiday flick.
- “Home Alone” an 8 year-old Kevin McCallister is left, as the title says, home-alone after his family forgets about him. Leaving him at the house while they go on their trip to Paris, Kevin has his dream life, for a few hours, where he gets to do whatever he wants, no rules, no chores, and no family. Soon after, this story takes a turn when two men try to rob his home. Now it’s up to little Kevin to protect his home and catch the bad guys, his efforts to do so result in a hilarious hour and 43 minutes.
Aside from movies, some other activities to inspire holiday spirit include: spending time with family, jamming out to holiday tunes, making holiday treats and cozying up with some blankets next to a fire. San Diego doesn’t get too cold compared to the rest of the world, but I know that in 68 degree weather I’m basically an icicle. Grabbing some blankets and sitting next to the fireplace while eating cookies is definitely one of my favorite activities. If you are without a fireplace, don’t worry I have an easy fix, sit next to a space heater and pull up an image of a fireplace on your computer… basically the same thing. No matter what you celebrate, there’s no time like the present to get into the spirit. Happy holidays!