By: Jeremy Binning
The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, at least according to George Wyle, the original composer. But it is also a time when many people find themselves not feeling as festive as others. With Christmas approaching, some students are looking forward to going home in the coming weeks while others aren’t so enthusiastic about it.
For various reasons, some people don’t have much family to go to. Whether it be deaths or relationships being broken or strained, it is hard for those out there to have much to look forward to. While others are with their families, many spend the holidays alone in their houses.
Even if that is the case for some, there are still ways to bring up the mood during the holidays. Volunteering at a local church or soup kitchen is a great example. It’s a way to help the community and also those who are less fortunate. Of those people, some don’t even have homes to return to, let alone a decent meal. It would be a great way to fill that void of being alone.
Friends are also family. Most students who go home decide to end up spending Christmas and New Year at a friend’s house. There they would feel alone and would more love than if they were by themselves. An exciting thing to do with friends would be to put up decorations around the house and decorate the Christmas tree. Doing festive activities like such is a bonding experience with your friends and also gets people more into the Christmas feel.
Jacalyn Samuelson, a senior majoring in criminal justice, always makes the best of the holidays, even if she’s not with family.
“Because of work and school in the past, I wouldn’t be able to go home for break, leaving me stuck up here. I had a few friends who were also here and we all made dinner and decorated a Christmas tree on Christmas Day,” Samuelson said. “It wasn’t planned and very last-minute, but I hold that Christmas close to my heart because I was away from home, but didn’t feel alone.”
Not all students who stay on campus do it because of unstable homes. Many of them can’t go because they’re from out of the country. Students who stay in the residence halls for winter break, although the fun isn’t limited there.
Staying in Plattsburgh doesn’t mean it’s the end of your Christmas there are plenty of things to do. Many students enjoy driving across the water and spending the day in Burlington, Vermont. Downtown Burlington will be filled with decorations all over the streets as well as activities to do.
A fun tradition in the Plattsburgh community that has been going on for the last few years is the Christmas parade “Miracle on Margaret Street.” The town hosts the annual parade, which is filled with performances and music. It’s been becoming bigger every year and is another fun way to get some holiday cheer.
The holidays aren’t always easy, but it is a time when everyone should be around love, whether it is with family, friends or in your community.
