Opinion | The best ways to make the most of the holiday season

From baking treats to ice skating in the cold weather, there is so much to do during the holidays. Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or another holiday, there are so many great things to do to make this time of the year. 

Spending time with the people you love during the holiday season is one of the best ways to pass the time. During this time of the year, ideally, everyone is able to relax a bit, and quality time is a great de-stresser. The change of environment is a welcome break from schoolwork and the usual anxieties of life in a college town.

For Thanksgiving, if you’re a pumpkin fan, I recommend trying to bake something pumpkin-based! I’ve been wanting to make pumpkin pie, and my goal is to bake it to be as good as the Costco one. Pinterest has so many ideas for baking, especially during the holiday season — some of the best holiday inspiration comes from people’s posts on the app.

Even though pumpkin patches are most associated with Halloween, they’re still a great and fitting activity for those pre-Thanksgiving November days. Whether this is with your family, friends or significant other, pumpkin patches are so much fun, even this late into fall. As someone from Philly, I always love taking a trip to Shady Brook Farm. If you’re from in or around Philly, I highly recommend checking this place out. 

After Thanksgiving comes my favorite time of the year. I always go to the Philly Christmas market downtown — they have the cutest stuff there, and I absolutely adore the mugs they sell! They make new mugs each year that my mom loves to collect, and we’ve made it into a personal Christmas tradition. I have always wanted to go to the New York City Christmas market, so maybe that can be on all of our winter bucket lists this year.

There is also a wonderful Christmas market that happens in the country that my mom is from. My mom is from Ostrava, Czech Republic, and though I haven’t been there in the wintertime, it has been my dream to go during that time of year. Her town has a beautiful Christmas market and, one day, I will definitely be there for it. 

Ice skating is another thing people love to do during the colder months. There is an ice skating rink in downtown Pittsburgh beside the Christmas market. While the Christmas market here is a lot smaller than the ones in Philly and NYC, it’s still a super festive way to spend an evening. There is also an ice skating rink in Schenley Park. Personally, I am terrible at ice skating. The last time I went, I fell multiple times, but it doesn’t hurt to try again. 

If you want to have a cozy night during Christmas time, there’s nothing like baking Christmas cookies and putting on a movie. I absolutely love cozy nights in, and it’s even better when you’re with the people you love — and some hot chocolate!

I’m one of those people who very much enjoys shopping for presents. I love buying things for my closest family and friends, and I just love gift-giving in general. Wrapping up the presents or getting a cute bag is always my favorite. Every time I put together the gifts that I have for people, I always put on a Christmas movie. I recommend that you try making an event out of gift wrapping, which could easily become tedious. 

Getting a break from schoolwork and being able to relax with family and friends during the holiday season makes me feel at ease, especially when we spend time doing holiday activities. I feel the best during this time of year, and I hope the ideas I gave to you make you feel at your best during this time as well! 

Do you have ideas for the holiday season? You can send the, to Irene at inm24@pitt.edu!