As the holidays are just about upon us, there is so much to be thankful for and appreciative of. This is a list of my top favorite 26 things about the holidays, in alphabetical order. This is the 2nd part.

New Year’s Eve

This New Year’s Eve is going to be particularly special, since it is my last New Year’s Eve before going away to college. I have very high expectations for 2017, and I’m hoping the last night of 2016 will be a good one.

Ornaments for Christmas Trees

In the mall nearest to me, there is a store dedicated just to Christmas ornaments. Whenever I go to that mall, I end up wandering into the ornament store, just browsing through all the different ornaments. There are so many and they are all so different, and I love looking at them all.

Pine Trees/Pine Cones/Pine-Scented Anything

The smell of pine is so fresh and crisp, and it always makes its presence during the holidays and wintertime.

Quilts

Like I said earlier about blankets, I love being warm. Every year I get a new quilt for my bed, and every winter I am always wrapped up in one.

Rudolph

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is my all-time favorite Christmas movie; I could watch it over and over and over again. The message from this movie is so important to me, and I think Rudolph is just adorable.

Snow

I have such a fondness in my heart for snow. Now that I am older, everyone just thinks it’s a hassle, but I still love it to no end. I think it’s so beautiful and fresh and smells so good, and I catch myself waking up every morning in the winter hoping it snows that day. Plus a few snow days from school every now and then never hurt.

Traditions

Every family has a different tradition for the holidays, and I find it so intriguing to learn about everyone’s special tradition. As I mentioned previously, my family goes to New York. My cousin’s family makes a different kind of dessert every night from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Eve. It’s so cool to me to hear what people’s traditions are and how they came about.

Unwrapping Presents

When I get a wrapped present for any holiday, I get so much joy out of tearing off the paper. There’s something that makes receiving gifts so much better when it’s wrapped, as opposed to just in a bag. (But I am thankful for any present, whether it’s wrapped or in a bag).

Visiting Family

My family is very important to me, but unfortunately, they live all over the place, so I don’t get to see them a lot. During the holidays, though, we all come together and spend days at a time with each other. My cousins are so special to me, and I am so thankful for them.

Winter Break

By the time the end of the first semester comes around, students everywhere NEED a break, or else they will go crazy. Thankfully, we have winter break, which every student is incredibly thankful for.

X-mas

I bet you’ve never sat back and wondered what the X in the abbreviation for Christmas is. Turns out, X is the Greek letter “chi,” the initial letter in the word Χριστός. Χριστός means “Christ.” Now you know.

Yummy Holiday Drinks and Desserts

Eggnog, hot chocolate, fruitcake and cookies are some very delicious things to eat and drink during the holidays. Apple Cider is my favorite, as I’ve previously mentioned, but everything else is amazing, too. And the best part is, they only come around in the wintertime, so they’re just that much better because they’re limited time only!

Zillions of Hugs and Kisses

I hope that with these holidays all of my friends and family get tons of love from their favorite people, and I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.

Happy Holidays to all, and a happy New Year as well!