It is that time of year again, Christmas is right around the corner; this year, December 25, the centerpiece of the holidays, falls on a Wednesday.  This year and every year, different people are doing different things to celebrate the season.  Some people like to relax during the holidays, and some people prefer to catch up with relatives they have not seen in a while.  According to The American Automobile Association, about 90 million Americans traveled to see relatives, averaging 720 miles round trip. Not only do people travel, but they also spend a lot of money on Christmas. A poll by The American Research Group found that American adults spent an average of $801 per person on gifts. Contrary to popular belief, most of that money is not spent on the Friday after Thanksgiving; also known as Black Friday.  The biggest shopping day of the Christmas season is actually the Saturday before Christmas, on what some are calling “Super Saturday” followed by the Saturday before that as the procrastinators hurry to buy last minute gifts.  Black Friday actually ranks as third on the list of busiest shopping days in America. The most popular gifts given for Christmas last year were Furbys, robotic puppies and Leap Pads. However, despite the long hours spent shopping for gifts, many people decide to return the gifts they have received, with the top gifts being clothing, music and age-inappropriate toys. Another post Christmas tradition that many have heard about, but don’t know a lot about, is Boxing Day.  This holiday is a federal bank holiday in Canada, England and several other countries where shops have dramatic post-holiday sales that attract large droves of people.  The name comes from the old tradition of employees receiving Christmas boxes from their bosses on the day after Christmas. Now most workers get Boxing Day off.

Back in the United States, and here at Chardon High, students have different plans on how they are going to spend their 16 day break. Sophomore Calvin Callahan said, “Rocking around the Christmas tree.” before walking away laughing.  Other students had more serious answers including Junior Bradley Caldwell who said “Sleep, I’m going to sleep the whole break.”  Junior Kyle Grimm was looking forward to a more exciting break.  “I’m going to bake cookies and go sled riding.” also adding that his favorite part of the holiday season was “Getting to see all my family members.”  No matter how you decide to spend the holiday season we can only hope it is a fun and relaxing one.