December is a month of holiday cheer, forgetting all about academic commitments, and in Florida, faking the winter celebrations until they feel real. With winter break upon us, it is important to remember that life does not stop when school does but instead allows you to try new things you haven’t done in a while, or ever before. For this holiday season, I’ve compiled a list of the must-do activities and events to get yourself in the mood for our long-awaited winter break, even if it is a snowless winter once again.
- See Christmas lights
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What better way to get into the holiday spirit than getting in a cozy outfit with the people you love and seeing the dazzling, twinkling holiday lights? For my Orlando locals, go for a walk around Lake Eola Park Downtown for the Holidays, where you can shop at the Merry Market, experience fake snow, or take a leisure stroll to admire the lights in all their glory.
- DIY a holiday garland
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Who doesn’t love a good DIY? This year, dried fruit slices have made their way into the trends, and they make a gorgeous, and aromatic, element to add to your next DIY: garland! The TikTok below shows just how easy it is to dry the fruit slices yourself and how to use a box you probably already have at home to make an adorable craft that will get you in the holiday spirit, look lovely in your home, and be a conversation piece that may influence your friends and family to try out their own DIY!
- Try out a new recipe
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If there’s any time to try out a new recipe, it’s when you have an endless amount of time. This winter break, make it a point to check out a recipe book or scour the internet for a new dinner or dessert staple. Maybe take a crack at the one recipe that has always intimidated you or seemed unnecessarily complex; now is your time to test it out. I will personally be trying out Taylor Swift’s iced chai sugar cookies with icing!
- Volunteer at or donate to a food bank
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Winter break may be the most awaited time of the year for us, but for many, the issue of food scarcity does not disappear. This year, use your holiday cheer to do something nice for others. This could mean donating the cans in your pantry you once intended to eat or even donating your time and volunteering to serve food. The Orlando Neighborhood Fridge is always open to donations and even hosts volunteering opportunities twice a month. If time is tight, which it often is, many churches in your area may accept nonperishable goods, especially during the holiday season. Remember, there’s no wrong time to do something nice for others!
- Rewatch Harry Potter
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Or watch them for the first time! The Harry Potter films are not explicitly Christmas movies, but I promise they make you feel just as cozy as a cold winter day. Falling in love with these characters again every year is what I always look forward to most during my winter breaks. You could even find a butterbeer recipe to attempt at home to make your experience even more memorable.
- Make gingerbread cookies
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And yes, I mean make. Out with the pre-made close-to-cardboard decorating kits, and in with the made-with-love delicious, warm, sugary cookie that you can decorate any way you’d like. You could also try out making your icing to decorate with. An endless number of recipes are readily available online and allow you to pick what you’d like: some are crunchy cookies, and some are soft and gooey. Whatever you decide, happy baking!
- Have a Self-care day
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When you’re out of school for an extended period of time, it’s easy to forget about all of your responsibilities, but that also makes it easy to forget about your own needs. This winter break, make it a point to give yourself a day of self-love and to take care of yourself. There is no right way to do self-care, so make it special to you. Maybe self-care is getting a massage, having a nail-care day, or going to the theater and seeing a movie by yourself. However, you choose to celebrate yourself, make it intentional, and stress-free, and do it for yourself.
Deciding how to spend your abundance of time can be hard; it’s easy to fall victim to wasting time trying to figure out what you should be doing with your free time. Just remember though, any time spent with yourself is a good time. There are countless activities beyond this list to make your winter break as magical as you’d like, and chances are, you deserve it. If the holidays stress you out, as it does for many people, between gift-giving and money-spending, remind yourself of the possibilities of what you can make of your own winter break. No matter what your winter break will consist of, enjoy it!