Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are the prime parts of the holiday season. This time of year brings joy for kids but what we don’t see is the struggle for the parents around the community.

The holidays give us a great reason to be with family, friends and the ones we care most about. Long family parties allow you to catch up with your relatives that come from out of town. You share love and laughter throughout the house, and you get to see the eyes of the young kids light up when they are opening that gift they have always wanted.

People all around the world celebrate these holidays. For some people, this time of year is a scramble for money. Parents around the world want to get their kids everything they want for Christmas and put good food on the table for Thanksgiving. However, it is easy to go broke quickly during the holiday season. I got to talk to Donny Durrant, parent of Herriman student, Payton, about some of the problems he sees around the holiday season. Donny explained, “Parents go into debt fast around Thanksgiving and Christmas because they use their credit cards and don’t think that they have to pay it back. That is the problem with the holidays”. Donny Durrant is a very successful man who runs his own business and doesn’t have some of the struggles that other people might have. 

The holiday season is not bad though. It is a great time to spend quality time with loved ones. In a poll here at Herriman high school about holiday traditions,  many students here at Herriman high school go to the homeless shelter and give out blankets and food. Students also said they travel out of state to go to their relative’s houses to celebrate with them. Some students said they sit at home and watch movies with their family and friends while just enjoying the company.

I know Christmas isn’t the same now that you know Santa isn’t really Santa, but you still can find a way to get in the holiday spirit and make them a little special. Give back to people you know or especially don’t know. “If you have the light inside you, light someone else’s light.”