Once school lets out for winter break, many students find themselves with plenty of time on their hands. How they fill that time is entirely up to them, which can and does lead to many problems.
Teenagers often fall into a slump during the holiday season, losing motivation and tending to not have the desire to do anything. The source of this is often their phones, as most find their entertainment online. Of course, this is fine for some, but others look back on their winter break and feel a sense of regret that they didn’t accomplish as much as they had hoped.
The University of Nebraska recommends getting more Vitamin D and doing mental health check-ins, but the main thing they advocated for was getting students out of their homes and interacting with people to establish social connections.
The only problem with this is that the district is in a very rural part of the state, and while a few towns host parades or reasonably-sized bashes, many people are ignorant of smaller events that bring just as much fun as the large ones.
“Me and a group of my friends go out and carol to different people at different companies,” Jonathan Bruce (12) said. “It spreads Christmas cheer to people who may not feel that Christmas is the best time, since people can be lonely.”
Over in the bustling downtown area of Pittsburgh is the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Ice Rink at PPG Place. Open from Nov. 14 to Mar. 1, people can either rent ice skates, or bring their own, and skate around a 60-foot-tall Christmas tree decorated festively for the holiday season. The fun doesn’t just stop here, however; the Peoples Gas Holiday Market is located right next to the rink and is open from Nov. 21 to Dec. 24. Artisans from all over come to showcase their traditional crafts and sell their wares, bringing a taste of Old World Europe to the season. This isn’t the only festive activity in Pittsburgh. There’s also the Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning, which are decorated in honor of the holiday season.
Located in Allegheny is a light show that incorporates music and Christmas festivities. It’s held from Dec. 17 to the 23 in the North Park parking lot. Lights are naturally associated with holiday cheer, since they symbolize hope and bring brightness to a dark time, and laser light shows are becoming more and more popular around this time of year. To add to the fun, the lights are synchronized with music playing in cars.
There’s also the fun things people do in Pittsburgh that they only do during the holidays. Though they aren’t explicitly Christmas-related, they are special to families during the holiday season.
“Right after Christmas, my sister, parents and I always go down to the Strip District,” Madison Capehart (9) said. “We go down, eat breakfast at DeLuca’s Diner, grab some cheese at the Pennsylvania Macaroni Co., and then walk around the district looking at some other stores.”
There is also Kennywood’s tradition of putting up holiday lights, which are put up Dec. 5 and stay up until Jan. 4. The park is home to the largest Christmas tree in Pennsylvania, a marvelous 100-foot-tall artificial tree. The tree lighting ceremony, which takes place at the center of the park, occurs nightly, meaning that no matter which day they arrive, attendees will still be able to enjoy the lights.
More close to home is the Beaver County Model Railroad Christmas Open House, at 416 Sixth St. in Monaca. They are open both Dec. 27 and 28, and have many model railroad scenes on display to the public, several with a festive twist.
Another local option is the January Ice Jam Bluegrass Festival, open January 16 and 17, in Beaver Falls. This annual event is not the only Bluegrass Festival of its kind; Bluegrass is becoming a more popular music genre in the region.
Everyone has their own way of celebrating the holiday, whether it be a tradition they practice or an event that’s exclusive to Christmastime. Many people use their phones as a way to escape, when in reality, that is making matters worse. Mental health isn’t something to be sneezed at, and it should be a priority in life to manage. Any methods are acceptable to avoid the depressive slump during the holiday season.