Yes, it is really that time of year again. Thanksgiving has officially passed and it is time to decorate the tree, hang the stockings and bake cookies while watching hours of cheesy holiday movies on Netflix. There is nothing holding you back from singing Christmas carols all day long, except the fact that your roommates or professors could get slightly annoyed. Santas will soon fill all the local malls and everything around you will turn red and green within the next few weeks. What about all the other holidays celebrated in December?

Most people consider December to be a time filled with Christmas cheer and everything peppermint flavored. However, this time of the year can be slightly more difficult or uncomfortable for those students who either don’t celebrate Christmas or who celebrate another holiday. Whether they celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other holidays, all the Christmas celebrations can get to be a bit much. Somebody who has never had Santa come to their house does not always want to hear about how he is “coming to town.” Even those who still celebrate Christmas with another holiday wish that people recognized Christmas is not the only holiday in December.

Many who choose not to participate in different Christmas related traditions are teased or told that they are not “in the spirit of the season.” However, not everyone gets in the spirit in the same way. In the same manner that one family may always eat Italian food for Christmas dinner while another eats a turkey dinner, the holiday season can be celebrated in many different ways. Just because somebody is not in the same spirit that you are does not mean that they dislike the holidays. They may just not celebrate the same way or even celebrate the same holiday that you do.

This does not mean that everybody needs to be politically correct and use “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”. Christmas does not need to be pushed to the side in order to accommodate for every religious or non-religious celebration. Other holidays just need to be given the same respect and consideration. It is completely fine to be excited about lighting your menorah or making Kwanzaa flags for your house instead of decorating your tree. Regardless of what you celebrate or how you celebrate it, this is a month for people to just come together and feel the holiday cheer. Just remember that not everybody celebrates Christmas and that does not make them any less cheerful than anybody else.