With final exams on the horizon and the holiday season in full swing, I figured I would step outside of the lines this week to talk about my passion for the Christmas holiday.
I know, and I apologize to those who follow HealthyU on a weekly basis, but hopefully my strict followers (if there are any) will forgive me in the spirit of giving.
For those of you who don't know me, my friends joke about the fact that well - I'm "pretty Jewish." I don't know exactly what that means, despite the fact that I wear an intertwined Tiffany Star of David and drop heart around my neck on a daily basis. I don't necessarily think I "look" Jewish in comparison to the general stereotype, considering my tan complexion and Italian family heritage.
And although I have a general appreciation for the Jewish religion, I stopped going to temple on a regular basis after my bat-mitzvah. I did the Birthright Israel trip in December, 2007 and had the time of my life, but as the daughter of a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, every year I look forward to turning on the lights on our Christmas tree on snowy mornings and listening to Christmas carols straight from Thanksgiving until New Year's.
I love Christmas because the world stops. Today is the first full day of Hanukkah. And what have I been doing to commemorate one of the most celebrated Jewish holidays of the year? Putting the finishing touches on a 14-page group paper due today at 4 p.m. and studying for my final exams.
Rather than going home to spend time with my mom in her cozy apartment by the beach or spinning dreidels and eating gelt (chocolate money) like I did at the Hillel Hanukkah happy hour last week, I am being accompanied by one of UConn's most eligible bachelors, Homer Babbidge, for the morning, evening and night.
I love Christmas because it is associated with family. Similar to Thanksgiving, families come from far and wide to spend time together. I look forward to stepping into any home around the holidays because, well, everyone just seems happier.
If there is one thing I have learned, it is that the term family is broad. Family ranges from your mother, father, brothers and sisters to your friends from your freshman dorm who listened to you complain about the 20-page final paper you should have started in September and coworkers who put up with your "lame" taste in music. And if there are reasons that you cannot be with your family on Christmas, then there is nothing wrong with choosing a different "family" with which to spend the day.
I look forward to Christmas because it gives me a dose of some mental health. This column may not be solely themed around fitness tips and workout woes, but rather general health. The holiday season is another reason to take some time for yourself every once in a while. The winter break, and more specifically the Christmas holiday, is one of the only times when you have little to no responsibility besides spending time with the ones you love.
While many of us have winter jobs, families to babysit, classes to make up and LSAT exams to study for between December and Jan. 19, do yourself a favor and celebrate, if only for one day, all the winter spirit.
So today, on the first day of Hanukkah, I look forward to the Christmas season. Get through this last week, push through and persevere. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from my family to yours.
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