When November comes around with bare tree branches and chilly winds, the holiday season has begun. Dusty decorations are taken from their attic homes and placed on clean tablecloths, home meals are cooked and festive movies play. Though the physical appearance of the holiday season stays the same each year, on an emotional level there is noticeable change. For a kid the holiday season symbolizes a time of delicious food, gifts and uncomplicated joy. However when the elementary school years fade, and the highschool years start and the closeness to adulthood looms, the view of the holiday season evolves.
Teenagers struggle in an awkward state between not being a kid anymore and not being fully an adult yet. The holiday season perfectly highlights this dilemma. While teenagers still receive gifts and enjoy the festivities like they did as a kid, it doesn’t feel the same. There are several reasons for this, for one the holiday season brings along new responsibilities for teenagers.
For teenagers who have younger siblings it’s their responsibility to keep the magic and mystery of the holidays alive. Whether that looks like waking up at dawn to open presents, or teaching the special family recipes. Another responsibility that comes with age is finding thoughtful, caring gifts for loved ones.
“As kids it was all about just having fun and the grownups making it a good holiday for us. Whereas now we have the responsibility to make it good for others too,” said Summit freshman Tessa Hoffmann.
Another cause of the change is simply the awareness that comes with growing up. The veil of childhood innocence drops when people leave youth, the knowledge that you aren’t a kid anymore is a constant backdrop throughout teenage life but the holiday season brings it into the spotlight. The holiday season evokes nostalgia for childhood in teenagers. As well as reminding teenagers that another year has gone by, another year closer to college and adult life. This realization dampers the festive spirit of the holiday season.
“It’s sad to see the more childish side of me disappear. It makes me really think about how close I am to adulthood, and that I’m not quite ready for it,” said Ellie Safford, a Summit sophomore.
While it’s impossible to change the passage of time, it’s not impossible to change your perception of the holidays and focus on the benefits of an adult perspective. Kids view the holidays through a narrow simplistic view, only seeing the materialistic benefits, the food and the gifts. While as blooming adults, teenagers glimpse the full spectrum and meaning of the holidays. The materialistic side of the holidays is only a small part of a bigger picture, and with a developing adult perspective, teenagers begin to see how the holiday season is vitally important for the gathering of family and the recantation of passing years.
