BY LEXI MARELLI (’18)

Everybody has favorites. Favorite foods, favorite colors, favorite animals. It is natural to pick favorites in most aspects of life. People have their favorites for the holidays too. The holidays are a fun time for everyone. The decorating, the food and the music all generally put people in a good mood. People do holidays in many different ways, but one thing almost everyone does when celebrating the holidays is giving gifts.

People are extremely fond of Christmas gifts, whether they like to admit it or not. Everyone has had good gifts, and the bad gifts that you have to smile at and pretend you like. However, there are also great gifts. These tend to become favorites. Most people remember their favorite Christmas gifts and usually remember the Christmas they received them as well.

“A couple of years ago, I got a new record player for Christmas,” junior Ava Hamstead said. “It was awesome. I would say it was probably my favorite gift.”

Sometimes kids get so many gifts that they like, it is impossible to choose a favorite.

“Honestly, I don’t know if I could pick a favorite gift,” junior Kaitlyn Cline said. “They have all been so wonderful.”

A very popular Christmas gift that most high school kids receive are clothes; however, this is not bad news like it was when students were younger.

“I love getting clothes,” senior Julia Helling said. “It’s fun to come back to school after Christmas break and have an entire new wardrobe.”

Some people choose their favorite Christmas gift because of when they received it, or where, or even by who the gift was from. Gifts can also become favorites because of how valuable they are, and how often the person uses it.

Sometimes smaller gifts are the best kinds to receive.

“I like to get gift cards because then I can go shopping with my friends and family and buy whatever I like,” senior Rachael Shomaker said.

“My favorite Christmas gift is definitely my iPhone, because I use it every single day,” sophomore Josie Decaro said.

Others have different reasons for choosing a gift as their favorite. Childhood memory gifts are often remembered fondly and can become favorites.

“My favorite gift I have ever gotten for Christmas is my cold nosed puppy. I got it when I was little. It’s a plastic toy puppy with fur, and it had a cold nose. I even remember it was a Yorkie. I loved it so much,” sophomore Brooke Fuller said.

Everyone has a favorite Christmas gift, and each one usually has a special meaning or story behind it.

“I would say the best Christmas gifts are the ones that come in small packages,” junior Taylor Ryan said.