With finals coming to an end, school closing for winter break, and everyone racing to the airport to make their flights, everyone has one thing on their mind: winter break. Winter break is full of smiles, love and holiday spirit! What isn't there to look forward to when the most wonderful time of the year is so close?

1. Being with your family.

No one wants to celebrate the holidays alone. This means that this time of the year is the biggest traveling time of the year because everyone wants to be with his or her family and loved ones during the holidays.

2. Cooking with loved ones.

Making delicious meals for the whole family to enjoy for either Christmas or Hanukkah, the kitchen is going to be full of people cooking and the house is going to smell fantastic during this time of year. That one holiday dinner when the whole family comes together to celebrate is always the most memorable.

3. No school.

School's out for a couple weeks thanks to the holiday season! All the students out there look forward to this time of the year because not only is it a nice long break from school, but the holidays make it an even better break!

4. Shopping for holiday gifts.

For your boyfriend or girlfriend, best friends, siblings, parents or extended family, you face the crowds at the malls during the busiest shopping time of the year. Everyone is on a mission to find a perfect gift for everyone they love, and the malls are always packed. You are lucky enough if you find a parking spot even in the furthest corner of the parking lot.

5. Decorating the house.

Putting up lights to light up the whole house, decorating the fireplace for all the presents to arrive, having that holiday feel to the house is the one thing that people look forward to when it comes to decorating. Turing on lights that remind you of the holidays makes you feel all warm and happy inside knowing that the holidays are so close!

6. Presents.

Now, who doesn’t like presents? All the presents you can think of you get to open on the morning of Christmas and eight days of presents for Hanukkah? Love me some presents, am I right?

7. Holiday movies on television.

…AKA, 25 days of Christmas on ABC. Everyone looks forward to those Christmas movies that make everyone’s holiday. Whether they are old or fairly new, animated or not, each movie is so enjoyable to watch while sipping on hot chocolate.

8. Holiday desserts.

You all probably know what I am referring to here: those little square sugar cookies that represent all the holidays on each one of them. They are literally the best cookies out there and you cannot resist nibbling on the cookie dough!

9. Holiday drinks.

One word: Starbucks. The holidays are almost here and the Starbucks holiday drinks have arrived. Basically anything that has peppermint in it is a holiday drink to me.

10. Candy Cane Lane.

Driving down that one street with every house decorated is one of the most exciting way to get into the holiday spirit! Everyone is either walking down the street enjoying all the decorations or driving down the street while blasting Christmas music. These people go all out on decorating their homes to wow everyone who comes to enjoy their decorations.

11. Holiday music.

Enough said. Everyone instantly starts to sing along to all those holiday songs when they are heard. “All I Want for Christmas is You.” “Hanukkah oh Hanukkah, Come Light the Menorah…”

12. Being in the holiday spirit.

What is there to not like about the holidays? Everyone has something to look forward to during this time of year and being in that holiday spirit is the first step to enjoying this time of year.

This is the time that everyone refers to as “the best time of the year!”

Be with your family, celebrate the holidays, and share the love!

Happy holidays!