By Kayla Raynak and Kailyn Turko
Now that Halloween has officially come to an end, individuals have varying thoughts on when it is time to start celebrating Christmas.
By now, stores are in full Christmas swing with new decorations, Christmas playlists and holiday menu items.
Some enjoy celebrating early while others wait until later in the season.
The Rocket decided to conduct a survey on when SRU students decide it is officially time to celebrate the holidays.
Multiple SRU students said they start celebrating Nov. 1, while others wait to celebrate Dec. 1.
“I try to wait until Black Friday, but some years like this one it feels like it can’t come soon enough, so I start celebrating November 1st, ” an SRU student said.
Many students discussed that they start celebrating the holiday season after or during Thanksgiving.
“For me, it’s a little tricky. The second it hits November 1st, the Christmas music goes on. That is 90% of what I will listen to during November and December. I’ll also watch some Christmas movies, but not as many as I would in December. However, the Christmas season fully begins after Thanksgiving. That’s when I’m ready to decorate and start doing Christmas activities. So in short, I start celebrating a little on November 1st, and then fully start after Thanksgiving,” another student said.
“When Santa comes through the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade,” another student said.
Students were also asked what makes them feel like it’s finally Christmas.
“For me, Christmas time is when it starts feeling cozy. This is a combination of factors. It’s the Christmas music that plays throughout the day. The decorations and lights that brighten the mood and the many movies played throughout the season. However, the thing that makes it finally feel like Christmas is enjoying all these festivities with friends and family,” a student said.
Many students said they feel the holiday spirit when the weather gets colder and Christmas decorations go up.
“Colder weather and decorations. I absolutely love decorating my apartment for the holiday season. It just makes me feel at home since I’m far from my family,” a student said.
Some also answered when Christmas music starts to play.
“Mariah Carey finishes defrosting on Halloween, and I play the hit song ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ two times on November 1st, marking the start of Christmas,” a student said.
Students were then asked when they will start to put up their decorations.
Multiple students said they start to decorate after Halloween while some decide to wait until after Thanksgiving.
“I decorate my apartment in November because I am not usually there over Christmas break,” a student said.
Many students shared that they start to listen to Christmas music in November.
“November 1st, I love creating playlists based off my mood, events, holidays, emotions, etc. I have a Christmas playlist that I’ve had since last year that I will add new Christmas songs [to],” a student said.
Students then shared whether they feel that some individuals start to celebrate too early for Christmas.
“Unless it’s before November, then no. My thought process is that now that I’m older, things go by way too fast. When I was a kid, waiting for Santa to deliver the gifts felt like an eternity. Since I’ve gotten older, time only seems to pick up every year. By extending Christmas festivities into November, I can still enjoy much of the charm of the holiday as I did when I was younger,” one student answered.
“It’s never too early for Christmas. Being out of state and away from family, being able to start decorating and celebrating the holiday season makes me feel like I’m decorating my childhood Christmas tree with my family,” another student said.
Students were asked if they enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving or if they skip over the holiday due to Christmas.
Many enjoy the food and having Christmas decorations up while celebrating with family and friends.
“I love Thanksgiving. It’s always so fun leading up to the day. Fasting for a huge meal, seeing family, watching the Macy’s day parade, and running the turkey trot. I do not think it has been forgotten, but Christmas has definitely a larger impact than Thanksgiving,” a student said.
“I celebrate Thanksgiving and see the two holidays as siblings. While one gets more attention, the other is still as equally important,” another student said.
Whether students start to celebrate in the beginning of November or the beginning of December, students enjoy the many festivities and traditions that the holiday season brings here at SRU.
