After an enigmatic semester, it’s not surprising many SU students and staff are ready for their winter break. Although winter break has often been an exciting time in the past, one must admit the upcoming break is likely to be a bit strange.
First and foremost, we’re in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic, which is already daunting in-and-of itself. Students and staff will likely be parading around their homes in masks in addition to their Santa hats, portraying a sketchier version of Home Alone villains as opposed to the traditional, and unattainable, standard of typical holiday wear: the style of a stereotypical Hallmark character.
In addition to the new get-up, holidays are also likely to be strange when considering family gatherings — if any are had at all.
Personally, my family and I will likely be Zooming throughout the holidays, which poses additional conflicts and questions. Some of the most pressing issues being: Will bizarre Zoom backgrounds give my family members an advantage when determining the winner of our ugly sweater contest? Is Secret Santa really Secret Santa if we blatantly assign names over Zoom in front of one another? And seriously, should Santa really be delivering presents at all this year? I’m just saying, it doesn’t sound like the brightest idea.
After the holidays, winter break can feel dull or even boring, which often leads many to the enviable series of random hobbies that, once break is over, you’ll likely never tackle again. After winter break, hobbies that were once obsessions fade away quicker than Ocean City tourists in the middle of December.
What was once a fascinating crochet obsession will likely turn into an infamous pile of yarn in the corner of one’s bedroom floor. Disheveled hats and rugged scarves will simply be shamed into the back of one’s closet never to be seen again — in my case, this is a good thing.
What was once an obsessive addiction to Rocket League, giving siblings meaning to their inevitable rivalries, will merely evolve to become rivalries without any meaning or purpose at all.
And what was once an Amazon shopping addiction … nope, that will remain the same.
Regardless, we can only assume the upcoming hobbies we introduce to our schedules this upcoming break are likely to be even weirder since many of us have exhausted our pastime options at the beginning of quarantine.
At the beginning of quarantine, Pinterest was a beacon of hope, an endless sea of distractions to explore and experiment with throughout the “duration” of the pandemic. However, within just a few short months, many of us had already ventured into numerous hobbies — so much so, our homes began resembling Home Depot and Hobby Lobby more so than the actual stores themselves.
No matter how you’re using this upcoming winter break, whether it’s to relax or earn a few more course credits, it’ll certainly be interesting, if nothing else, to see how everyone remains occupied and entertained over the next month and a half.
Happy holidays; stay safe, everyone!
By OLIVIA BALLMANN
Editorial editor
Photos by Summer Shaper.