With Thanksgiving in the past and Christmas in the near future, BSM is ready to start preparing for the winter holiday season, especially the long-awaited winter break. In the (very much needed) two weeks away from school and the grind of homework, around 53% of our students surveyed have plans to leave town, with 78% of travelers going somewhere warm to escape the cold. Whether getting tan at the beach or watching the snowfall on Christmas from their Minnesota home, BSM students surely are going to appreciate the time off.
During the anticipated six months of winter, “an uptick in snow is also likely across parts of the Midwest, including Minnesota.” Most students enjoying a “staycation” hope for a good snowfall to help them gear up for skiing and sledding season. “I go skiing at Trollhaugen, Afton Alps, … [and] I just go sledding in my backyard …I want there to be snow to ski [and] I want Christmas to have snow. Last year was disappointing,” junior Kaitlyn Cape.
Even when it’s too cold to leave the house, cozying up to a fire with hot chocolate in hand, watching a classic Christmas movie seems to be on many students’ agendas this winter break. Similarly, there’s no better time of year to make cookies than over winter break, a favorite hobby of many. “I really like [the movies] Christmas with a Prince, The Princess Switch and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We watch [them] every year since my sister and I were older and make Christmas cookies,” Cape said.
For most, winter break is centered around the Christmas season, a time to see family and friends, open presents, and have Christmas parties and dinners. Majority of the student body agrees that today, celebrating Christmas is more a reason to see family and give and receive gifts, rather than the special feeling of Christmas morning or believing in magical elves and Santa. “I think I cared more when I was a kid because I wanted to value more tradition and opening presents on Christmas morning. And as I’ve gotten older, I don’t care as much. It has less meaning to it, which is sad, but that’s just life,” sophomore Ava Lockhart said.
Most students traveling are headed off to escape the cold and experience some warm weather. This year, popular sports are Florida, California, Mexico, The Caribbean, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica, a stark contrast to the temperatures at home. Will students miss the snow and beauty during Christmas? Lockhart luckily gets both, spending half her break enjoying the sun in Florida, and will arrive home just in time for a magical Minnesota Christmas. “For this year I’m leaving when school ends, and coming back on Christmas and then staying through New Year’s … I typically celebrate [Christmas] in Florida with my grandparents, and it doesn’t feel the same because of the weather,” Lockhart said.
Sophomore Tessa Erikson isn’t sticking around or going warm. Japan is her family’s destination spot this break. Rather than sitting by a fire or under the sun, some students like Erikson are going on a more cultural and adventurous trip over Christmas Break. Though she will miss Christmas at home and seeing her extended family, she values the opportunity to witness new cultures celebrate the holiday. “It’s really fun to experience a new place and see what it’s like during the holidays. You only really see the US during the holidays. … We’re going to Japan, so I know it’s really different there. It’ll be really cool to see how different cultures celebrate those holidays,” Erickson said.
Unfortunately, in exchange for enjoying new traditions in a foreign location, Erickson will miss experiencing her family’s annual traditions. Her family celebrates Swedish Christmas traditions, and though those will look different this year, Erickson will still be able to celebrate the religious meaning of Christmas. “There’s some Christmas traditions. My family’s Swedish, and so my whole extended family gets together on the 23rd and we make bola bread, and it’s a really big deal. We can’t do that, because we can’t really make bread on vacation. But there’s other things, like going to a church service and spending a day with close family,” Erickson said.