I've always loved the holiday season. I love the cold and I love the community feeling. But, as I've gotten older I've noticed there's more stress around the holiday season. I, myself, am often stressed in December - overloaded with preparation for the end of the semester and with trying to find the perfect present for friends and family. Lately though, I've just wanted to slow down and appreciate the little things about the holidays.

The Music

I have a whole playlist just dedicated to holiday music that I wait all year to listen to and I am so excited to pull it out on December 1st (unless it snows before then, in which case I really can't help myself). My absolute favorite music to listen to after it's just snowed is Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. There's a feeling of peace and quiet that comes with fresh fallen snow and The Nutcracker playing in the background. This ballet is my number one recommendation for people feeling stressed by the holidays.

The Smell

The aromas of cinnamon, pine trees, hot chocolate, and apple cider are amongst my favorite smells. I'm a huge believer that smell contributes to how you feel during the day and these smells make me feel like I'm all cozied up in a sweater. Even if I don't have a warm drink, the smell can compensate until I have the time to make or get myself one.

Decorations

Almost every town decorates for the holidays every year; they put lights in the trees and hanging over alleyways, they put semblances of pine around lampposts, and they put wreaths over doors or bridges. I am a huge believer in the environment that surrounds us influencing how we feel. For me, the holiday season is the one time of year I truly feel any town or city come together as a community. I find walking down lit streets that are decked out for the holidays fills me with content.

Now these are just three little things that, for me, make the holidays special - that make them a calming experience rather than a frantic one. There are many bigger reasons to love the season such as family, religion (for some people), or just a time of celebration but I find that these little things are what make the whole season work. It's the little things that calm me down and make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.