December is upon us, snow is falling (not really), and final exams, papers, and projects are looming. The holiday season commences, in my opinion, after Thanksgiving, when lights and trees pop up everywhere and the sales begin.

Marist College pays tribute to their Catholic roots by carefully stringing lights upon a huge pine behind the library, placing wreaths throughout the dining hall, and putting a tree in each building. The abundance of Christmas decorations brings back Catholic school memories, but at the same time, it is so strange to see Christmas broadcasted in an age where political correctness dominates every sector of life.

Marist College is no longer affiliated with the Catholic faith, although their Campus Ministry program draws in many students who participate in volunteering, church events, and the giving tree collection around Christmas. The giving tree is a special Christmas tradition in which students pull paper ornaments labeled with gifts off of the trees around campus that were written by families in need. The sense of giving around Christmas is apparent everywhere, and especially at Marist where the giving tree is supplemented by numerous food drives.

Despite the Christmas cheer on campus, many students are more than excited to go home for the holidays because:

1. Homemade food

There is no better smell or sense of home than mom's chicken cutlets and asparagus sizzling in a pan upon your arrival home from school. Between running around from class to clubs to the gym, the amount of time available to eat is slim, and most of the time, students end up munching on Pop-Tarts or power bars to keep going. The luxury of coming home and having someone cook for you classifies you as beyond fortunate.

2. The dog!

Does anyone else miss their dog as much as I do? There is no one happier to see me than my dog as soon as I walk in the door, and I miss being greeted with a wagging tail and smile. Nothing defines Christmas more in my household than decorating the tree with the dog weaving in between us and the boxes filled with delicate ornaments. In other words, there have been many incidents with fallen trees and crushed glass ornaments in the McCarthy household thanks to a dangerous tail and oversized tree.

3. Friends from home

There is nothing better than coming home from college and reuniting with all your friends from home who happen to be in the same place and time as you. The summer can prove a difficult time to see everyone when you're working and going on family vacations, but the holidays somehow have a way of truly bringing everyone together. I have already planned to see one of my friends as soon as she lands at Logan Airport, and we'll be taking advantage of the lengthy college break to go on adventures.

4. Family parties

The dread and excitement of family parties is a strange paradox that every college student faces on their return home for the holidays. You have to strategically plan your outfits (don't get them started on ripped jeans), dodge questions from nosy relatives, and resist eating an extra slice of cake so your grandmother doesn't chastise you. On the upside though, there is an abundance of wine and a chance to listen to some of the most hilarious stories of the year.

5.Christmas traditions

Time to deck the halls! Literally though. At my house, we like to turn the speakers up and play Christmas music (Michael Bublé, anyone?) while letting the holiday spirit loose in our house. Although we have a fake tree now (refer back to tree incidents in reason no. 2), decorating is just as much fun and we light fir-scented candles to get the real tree aroma which is basically the same, right?

You also can't forget to bake sugar cookies and gingerbread men to truly get in the feel of Christmas, as well. Lastly, if you're not shopping for last minute gifts on Christmas eve, well then clearly you were prepared while the rest of us scour the shelves for the best last-minute finds.