Winter
Did you know 90% of people pick
winter as their favorite season? I can
see why. From skiing down a mountain to
sitting by the fire with your hot chocolate, whipped cream and marshmallows,
winter is the way to go. There are
plenty of satisfying and exciting holidays in the winter such as Hanukkah,
Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Black Friday is on the day after Thanksgiving. It is on Friday, and is the beginning of the
holiday shopping season. Just about
every store has a big blowout sale.
Cyber Monday is similar to Black Friday, except the sale is online and is
on Monday. Though the stores can be
hectic and the internet could be slow, shopping is a wonderful way to start the
winter season.
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is a called the Festival of
Lights. It celebrates the miracle of the
oil lamp. The story tells of their only
being enough oil to light the lamp for one day, but instead it lasted for eight
days. The Hanukkah holiday lasts for
eight days. Each evening, one candle is
lit on the menorah. One candle is lit for
each night, plus the Shamash to light the others. While the candles are being lit, prayers are
sung; presents are given to children. Hanukkah
is a special time to gather with family, eat special food, play games and open
presents!
Christmas is a day that celebrates the birth of baby
Jesus. He was called the Savior in the
Christian faith. Santa Claus visits your
house on Christmas Eve. He is a jolly
old elf, who lives in the North Pole and delivers presents via a sleigh and eight
flying reindeer to good little children.
He comes down your chimney and puts treats in your stockings, but only
if you are GOOD. If you are not good,
you get coal. Christmas is a wonderful
time of year to exchange gifts and have fun with family and friends.
Another winter holiday is New Year’s Day. New Year’s Day is a day that celebrates the
beginning of the next year. On New Year’s
Eve, there is a shiny glass ball that drops at midnight in Time Square New
York. It is dropped with a countdown,
and when it reaches the bottom, the New Year has arrived. Everyone cheers, kisses and makes their New
Year’s pledge. Many families gather yet
again for a special feast on New Year’s Day and celebrate with family.
Some popular food and beverages in the winter time are
gingerbread, hot chocolate, candy canes, and Hanukkah gelt and latkes. Gingerbread is a type of cookie that is
hard. Some families make gingerbread men
and gingerbread houses. The cookies are
frosted and decorated with candy. Another tasty treat that is particular to
winter is hot chocolate. Do you remember
coming in from playing in the snow, to sip hot coco with marshmallows and
whipped cream in front of a warm and cozy fire?
I sure do. Hot chocolate is a warm
yummy treat! Candy canes are next on our
list of favorite winter snacks. The
traditional red and white stripped minty candy shaped as a cane is what most
people envision when they think of a candy cane. However, candy canes can come in a variety of
colors and flavors such as green, blue, purple, and some even black, bubble
gum, raspberry, fruit punch and traditional mint. These unique candy goodies are one my
favorite winter treats. Yet another winter
treat is Hanukkah gelt. It is a
chocolate coin used as a prize in playing the dreidel game. It is so yummy that it even melts in your
mouth. They are really good! Finally, latkes are fried potato pancakes served
during Hanukkah. You might be thinking,
YUCK or EWW, but these potato pancakes are truly exceptional with some homemade
applesauce. They warm your tummy as well
as your heart. All these winter food
treats are tasty to enjoy on a cold winter day.
Gracefully skiing down a steep mountain or getting pelted
with snowballs, winter activities are one of the best parts of the winter
season. Building a snowman is a fun way
to spend some time outside in the winter snow.
Close your eyes and imagine, adding a carrot nose to your snowman. Then taking
a step back and smiling, at your fantastic snowy creation. These snow people make an amazing scarecrow
and winter friend until they melt in the sun.
Another fun winter activity is snow ball fights. Did you know that nine out of ten people
think that snowball fights are the best thing about winter? These soft balls of snow are perfect for
ambushing a sibling or getting revenge on a friend. But watch out, you might just become the next
target. Sledding is another great way to
spend a winter day. Feel the wind in
your face as you enjoy a ride on your winter sled. Watch out for the bumps, otherwise you might
end up in a pile of snow. Lastly,
skiing is a popular winter activity enjoyed by winter lovers. Skiing is when you put your boots into two
long narrow runners. They act like sleighs for your feet, allowing you to glide
on the snow. Two ski poles help you to
balance and give you a starting push when you need it. Skiing is a pleasure, team, race and trick
sport. I truly recommend skiing as a fun
winter activity. Building a snowman,
snowball fights, sledding and skiing make for a fun outdoors winter snow day.
Winter is my favorite season because it is a time for holidays,
special yummy treats and fun winter activities.
Santa, menorahs, presents, hot chocolate, candy canes, snowballs and
skiing are just some of the outstanding things about winter. But what makes each of these winter things
better is doing them with family and friends.
And for these reasons, winter is my favorite season. I hope it will be yours too.
