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THURSDAY BIRD SPECIAL
Spirits bright
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 Vol. 130 / No. 30
videtteonline.com
Holiday traditions light up the season
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CRISTINA MEESENBURG | Features Reporter | @cristina_mees
he countdown has begun and the holidays are closely approaching. With only a few weeks until Santa comes, there are several ways to get in the spirit. Some may say it is only acceptable to listen to Christmas music once a year, so might as well take full advantage of it. It is as easy as switching the station in the car to the holiday station and jamming out on the way to class or work. It is hard to get in the spirit without at least a little holiday décor. It may be hard to drag a 10-foot tree through Watterson Towers, but there are other ways to spruce up a dorm or apartment. Add some lights, paper snowflakes and even a miniature tree to create a winter wonderland. “My roommates and I got into the holiday
spirit by decorating our apartment together while listening to Christmas music,” Cait McCutchan, senior entrepreneurship and small business management major, said. Students can also grab an oven mitt and pull out grandma’s favorite cookie recipe. Nothing quite screams the holidays like the wafting scent of freshly baked treats drifting through the apartment. In addition, ask family and friends what is on their Christmas list and hit the mall. Everyone loves a little Christmas shopping and treating the ones who mean the most to us. However, buying someone a gift is not the only way to get in the spirit. People can do a kind deed to feel extra jolly. Shovel the neighbor’s driveway or volunteer at a local soup kitchen. After all, this is the season of giving.
Sophomore business administration major Alyssa Parson gets ready for the holidays by wrapping presents and hanging string lights.
Not only is it the time to start listening to holiday music, but it is also acceptable to binge watch ABC Family/Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas and other classics in front of the fire place while sipping a warm cup of hot cocoa. There is no better way to get into the mindset of this holiday. “Decorating the Christmas tree while watching a Christmas movie is how I get in the spirit for the holiday,” Nate Moran, senior marketing major said. Finally, take a drive through the neighborhood and admire everyone’s twinkling lights. Some houses get really into the spirit and actually do a light show for everyone to see and enjoy. Dozens of decorative figures light up the front yard at 1210 W. Hovey Ave. in Normal. Let the countdown to Christmas begin. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALI RASPER VIDETTE PHOTOGRAPHER