By: Brooke Lyons

With October 31st passing and the beginning of November, the spooky spirit of Halloween comes to a close. Thanksgiving, just a few days away, is the conventional successor to the holiday of horror. The foodie’s favorite holiday consists of gratitude and feasting. But I would not replace your cobwebs and pumpkins with cornucopias and turkeys just yet. Many Christmas fanatics believe the Yuletide cheer starts when the clock strikes midnight on Nov. 1. Even though Thanksgiving comes first on the calendar, can Christmas be celebrated a month early? Or should we give Thanksgiving the holiday spotlight? To determine a resolution to the Great Holiday Debate, let’s dive into Springfield Senators’ thoughts and opinions. 

Oliver Havey, a sophomore, shares his opinion on the Christmas-Thanksgiving debate: “It has to be cold and it has to be December for me to even think about Christmas activities.” This adds a factor to this holiday argument. The Christmas holiday season goes hand-in-hand with December. This association primarily comes from the traditional frosty weather seen in Christmas films. “The Grinch”, “The Polar Express” and other fan favorites all portray wondrous holiday snow. However, the likelihood of snow in November is a hit-or-miss. So, the wintry weather requirement does not exactly win the Great Holiday Debate for team Thanksgiving.

A huge component of the Great Holiday Debate is the meaning of Thanksgiving. Those in favor of celebrating Christmas only in December largely attribute their belief to Thanksgiving’s importance. The holiday revolves around gratitude and sharing a meal with loved ones. For many, Thanksgiving allows family members, who do not often see each other, to spend some quality time together. But isn’t this equally just as important as time spent during Christmas? Springfield High sophomore, Lincoln Katalanich, said “You gotta be grateful for your family and then you can be grateful for your gifts during Christmas.” It can be argued that celebrating Christmas early takes away the significance of Thanksgiving. A holiday celebrating gratitude deserves some spotlight!

Olivia McGuire, a senior, shared, “November 1st, I was already listening to Christmas music! I don’t think celebrating Christmas in December is long enough. We should celebrate Christmas in November and December. And still celebrate Thanksgiving in between!” This calms the fears of Christmas taking over Thanksgiving. In this proposed solution, the Christmas celebration would begin from November 1st until the week of Thanksgiving. The foodie’s favorite holiday would get a week, shared with the shopaholics’s favorite—Black Friday. Afterwards, Christmas cheer could recommence! 

Christmas brings love and happiness—feelings many people want to get a jump start on for the season! Senior, Abby Woudenberg, said “There is something so comforting about the lights, music and decorations–it all creates this warm, uplifting energy. The holiday season has this unique way of making everything feel brighter and more positive.” The season gives people something to look forward to and be excited about. In our often dark world, everyone could use a little Christmas cheer. 

Many have been persuaded to start Christmas earlier than usual this year. Mrs. Moomey, SHS attendance manager, shared, “Typically, we don’t start doing Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. But I am feeling the vibe. If it makes you happy, put those lights up!” If you want to give Thanksgiving its time to shine, go you! If you want to put your decorations up and blast Mariah Carey, go for it! For this holiday season, let us all focus on what makes each of us happy. No matter how you celebrate the upcoming holidays, enjoy your time spent with your loved ones! There is no greater gift than the present. 

Photo courtesy of MBU Timeline