As temperatures begin to drop and the days suddenly appear shorter, the fall and winter seasons sneak up on us. It is the time of year when leaves start to cover our backyards and we put on our heavy coats and jackets.  It is the time of year when we hope snow will grant us the day off of school. There are many things that make this part of the year what it is, but nothing brings in the seasonal vibes like their holidays.

“My mom makes a lot of different treats [for the holidays],” Alexandre Bizot (11) said. “She makes these molasses cookies, and she’ll make several batches of them.”

Halloween is the first major holiday of the fall, and many White Station High School students have fond memories of celebrating the day by dressing up as their favorite characters and trick-or-treating. For them, Halloween is not just a day — it is a season filled with traditions that continue through high school. Many still dress up for the occasion, whether they plan to trick-or-treat or attend Halloween events around town, like the Memphis Zoo’s annual Zoo Boo.

“There was a year when I was [dressed as] Where’s Waldo,” Eden Holding (12) said. “It rained that year so we couldn’t go trick or treating, but we did go to the Zoo Boo, and I think it was funny walking around and people would point at me and yell ‘Found him!’, and then I’d have to run away.”

One of the most known aspects of Halloween is the abundance of candy associated with it. Whether gathered through trick-or-treating, bought from a store or traded with a friend, many use the opportunity to stock up on their favorite sweets or even find unique and unusual treats.

“[I like] when people buy a candy that shows they give a crap about Halloween,” Bizot said. “You could go to the store and buy a 50-pack of miniature Kit Kats for five dollars … but [I like] when it really shows that you put thought into it, like when you buy a more unique candy because you get to experience something more interesting.”

However, the seasonal traditions do not stop there. Unlike Halloween, students are used to getting a full week off of school to celebrate Thanksgiving. Some spend the holiday preparing special dishes, often with a turkey, but also foods that are traditional in their family’s culture. Others use the holiday as a vacation to go out of town or to see family they do not regularly visit.

“My parents usually go to Nigeria for Thanksgiving,” Amari Duncan (10) said. “I get to see my family [and] my cousins. It’s like America but a lot hotter …  We usually eat a mix of American and African food … turkey, mac and cheese … pretty basic food.”

But of course, Christmas is viewed by many as the most famous end-of-year holiday due to its cultural significance and prominence. Often, Christmas signifiers, like Christmas songs and decorations, can begin infiltrating places long before the actual holiday. People shopping for last-minute Halloween costumes or Thanksgiving decorations in October and November are often bombarded with huge trees, ornaments and Santa Claus statues. This is referred to as “Christmas creep.”

“I kinda understand why people think its corny to play [Christmas songs] in November,” Bizot said. “But there’s also just no really good Thanksgiving songs … There’s nothing else to play seasonally, and Thanksgiving isn’t known that much outside of America, while Christmas is celebrated anywhere where there’s Christian influence. ”

A common tradition for those who celebrate Christmas is watching classic Christmas movies like “Home Alone” and “Elf,” or listening to Christmas music like “Last Christmas” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”  Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas is You,” one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, is both loved and hated for its prominence around the Christmas season.  While most people enjoy these Christmas festivities, many become exhausted by them after a certain point. 

“I mean, [‘All I Want for Christmas is You’] is iconic,” Holding said. “But I think it is very overplayed. I feel like you should just reserve [Christmas songs] for Christmas … at least start in December, because that gets you in the spirit, but don’t start in Halloween.”

While the season of celebrating Christmas can last for months, it all revolves around one specific day — Dec. 25, or Christmas day. On this day,  families exchange gifts long buried under Christmas trees, using the morning to unwrap presents and bond with each other.

“I like giving gifts,” Bizot said. “One year, I asked Mr. Williamson what he wanted for Christmas and he said, ‘A pair of scissors to cut my hair,’ and I jokingly got him a pair of scissors. I think a lot of stuff like that, whether it’s legit gifts or joke gifts … Even if they might not use it, it really is the thought that counts. Not only did they go out of their way to get you something [when] they could’ve just gotten a gift card or some money … but they really thought about it.”