How to hype yourself up for this Christmas season!

Everyone knows that when the clock strikes 12:00:00 AM on December 1st, it becomes socially acceptable to hype yourself up for the winter holidays. Ironically enough, it always seems to be the emotions experienced during the build-up to Christmas that is fondly remembered. The preparation, the music, the snow, the gradual development of Christmas light infrastructure in the neighbourhood all signify that Christmas is coming. Although Christmas may sometimes fail to meet such high expectations, the holiday hype is always worth it.

In case you haven’t started preparing for Christmas after Halloween (which I expect everyone to do), here are some suggestions on how to catch up and actually live your life.

Listening to Christmas music

Christmas themed music will seep into your life one way or another. Shopping malls, radio stations, and holiday-themed ads will all bombard you with random excerpts of Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is You.” Overplayed Christmas music has become a staple of the holidays, similar to mashed potatoes and gravy. And who doesn’t like mashed potatoes and gravy?

Here are some more nostalgic bangers that will surely bring back wonderful memories of the winter holidays.

1. Last Christmas – Wham

2. Holly Jolly Christmas – Michael Bublé

3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Mariah Carey

4. Underneath the Tree – Kelly Clarkson

5. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

6. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Michael Bublé

Add your favourite Christmas Jams to our playlist: CSA Tunes Christmas Edition!

Watching Christmas movies

Christmas movies often portray a romanticized and ideal version of how Christmas is celebrated by everyone in the world (given that you look past the plot). An abundance of decorations, rosy warm lighting, soft and heavy snowfall, the cheesy “magic” of the holiday spirit, and the rediscovery of innocence all paint a picture-perfect movie Christmas. Although reality may often be disappointing, at least we live vicariously through these classic films.

Here are some movies (or scenes) to check out (a warm sweater, thick socks, and a Santa hat recommended):

1. Elf

2. Home Alone Series

3. The Polar Express

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Christmas scene

Staying up late and watch the snowfall outside

There is something strangely soothing and serene about watching snow fall. The world outside becomes much brighter and softer as if a white blanket had wrapped around and muted everything out. The ever-falling snow physically and mentally isolates you from everything else, leaving you in your own globe of a pristine and untouched winter wonderland. As you stay inside, comfy and cozy, all the burdens of the present moment seem to ease away. The first snowfall is especially special, as it offers an inkling into the upcoming celebrations and imminent Christmas cheer about to come with the winter months.

Counting down the days until Christmas

Who would’ve thought that looking forward to something would make you more excited about it? However, there’s something EXCEPTIONALLY pleasing about thinking about the winter holidays. Christmas Eve, Christmas, Boxing Day. 3 days in a row of holidays! Just counting the amount of time you still have to relax is something fun in itself. It’s almost like counting money, but the bundles of $10K are the sheer amount of days left in the winter break before real life starts again. Just don’t think about how in a flash, you’ll be bankrupt and penny-pinching the time you have left.

My personal favourite and underestimated activity:

Spending time doing nothing

No school, no work, no irrational guilt while relaxing because you feel like you should be “busy” with something. During these holidays, you can rest peacefully, knowing that you deserved it!