Ah the holidays! Who doesn't love the holidays? The holidays are truly a special and magical time of the year that brings people together in love and joy.

There are many different factors that go into making the holidays so special but none are greater or more influential than the people around you. It's always a great time when you get to spend time with the ones you love, especially when you get to show your appreciation for them by giving gifts and spreading holiday cheer.

I especially feel this way now because by spending the last 3 months and change in college I realized how precious time is with the ones you love because as you get older you start to leave the nest and you wont always have the opportunity to be with your loved ones. But on the holidays everyone gets together, they are all like one big family reunion.

Also what makes the holidays so fun are the traditions such as eating seasonal foods, giving gifts, and decorating. Also the change of scenery with the weather and holiday decorations is a sight to behold. Also the music, movies, and other forms of entertainment are a unique and fun genre.

But what I love the most is how cheerful it is. Year round we see people stressed most of the time with work or school and they don't really have the opportunity to take some time to unwind. But the holidays provide the perfect opportunity to do so and it is a great break from our monotonous busy lives. We see people in a happy and giving mood and their happiness spreads to others.

I feel like as I got older the meaning of the holidays drastically changed. When I was younger my heart would skip a beat every time I thought about Christmas because I would think about all of the presents that I would get. I was often told that the holidays aren't about what you get, it's about giving and loving and being grateful for the others around you. But I never understood this and thought that it was just a cliche, like most of this article.

But as I got older I started noticing that I was demanding less and less on my christmas list and I started to become more excited for my plans with family instead. Also it is a lot of fun to watch younger children react when my dad dresses as santa claus. I will never forget when my dad said as santa "Youse going to have christmas soon?".

Also I like how the holidays fall right in between the fall and spring semesters, especially in college where we get to have a long break in between. It marks the halfway point of the school year and it is a great time to relax, reflect on the previous semester, and prepare for the next, also no schoolwork for a month so that alone is much to be excited for.

In about two weeks the holidays will be upon us and we will get to experience everything that makes the holidays great all over again.