FollowThe holiday season has officially been kicked into high gear! Halloween was a blast, though I am sure you are all still recovering from the plethora of starburst candies you consumed, and the obscene amount of beer you drank at that one party…You know, THAT one. Well it is only uphill from here! In about two weeks heaps of Berkeley students will either be home or at a friend’s place stuffing their faces with delicious mashed potatoes and turkey drenched in gravy. As the weather changes and your wardrobe transitions from sundresses to sweaters, here are a few ways to welcome the holiday season with open arms!
1. Stock your cabinet with hot cocoa, canned soup, pumpkin everything, and as many chocolate-filled desserts as you can find. One of the best things about the cold weather is the comfort food you can have at all hours of the day.
2. Hit up the local thrift store for some tacky grandpa sweaters. The tackier the better! Winter in the Bay Area is nothing compared to the East Coast (where seasons actually exist), but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of the cloudy weather to rock some vintage knits. Also, when hunting for holiday-themed swag in Berkeley, you need not look any further than Berkeley’s local thrift stores, where beautifully hideous Christmas sweaters are plentiful, and only $5 at stores like Goodwill or Buffalo Exchange. I would suggest getting a move on shopping now in order to beat the herd closer to the holidays.
3. It is never too early for holiday decorations. Home Depot already has Christmas trees for sale and twinkly lights are 25% off at local hardware stores like the Berkeley Ace Hardware on Shattuck, or at any Walgreens or CVS! I always say it is never too early to get into the holiday spirit. If you have some free time on a Sunday in the middle of November and you fancy making a chain of snowflakes, go for it!
4. Invest in a record player. There is truly nothing that feels more cozy than sitting by a fireplace and listening to an entire vinyl record with family or friends. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe the old sound of vinyl records, with the background crackle and occasional spark, is a nostalgic noise that you can’t get from listening to a CD. There’s also no better way to ring in the holiday season than listening to Frank Sinatra’s “Christmas Song” or Bing Crosby’s “Silver Bells” while sitting in a big armchair and drinking pumpkin hot cocoa (yes they make that!).
5. Buy a set of cookie cutters and go crazy with the holiday baking. I bought a set of 30 holiday-shaped cookie cutters last year and it is one of the best investments I have made to-date. If you want to embrace the spirit of giving and the timeless traditions of the holiday season, whip up a batch of snowman-shaped sugar cookies for every neighbor on the block! You’ll feel great spreading the “spirit of giving” and your neighbors will be stoked to have a freshly baked platter of holiday cookies on their doorstep.
6. Put the ABC Family “25 Days of Christmas” movie lineup into your phone. Watching holiday movies on ABC Family is one of the most cherished childhood memories of many and I love that they still continue to air old films like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the original “Home Alone” even in the year 2014.
As a college student, I have found that it has become increasingly difficult to traditionally celebrate the holidays. This is understandable, as every college student is overwhelmed with exams, leaving little to no spare time for decorating or watching holiday films. Thus, more time-consuming activities like baking cookies, going ice skating, and making snowflakes have faded from the spotlight, with getting really drunk and dressing up in not-suitable-for-children costumes filling their place. Sure, getting drunk is “part of the college experience,” but I still say if you have the chance, try out one of the activities on this list to get back to that traditional, family-style way of celebrating the holidays. It will be a nice relief from the stress of school and the end-of-semester project deadlines, and you’ll get to spread holiday cheer that will make everyone feel better!
Cover image Lana Cosic
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