The crisp winter air signals an upcoming break, with some students longing for outdoor adventures such as Cancun or the Bahamas, and others dreaming about the scent of gingerbread, family traditions, and the coziness of their homes.
“I’m so excited for winter break, the few weeks before the break are always so hectic,” sophomore Sloka Rajeev said. “It’s always so nice to look forward to something, whether it’s going on vacation or staying inside with my family”
Vacations
According to the Bureau of Transportation, 15 billion trips were made during the winter season between 2019 and 2020.
“I think traveling is so fun during winter break,” senior Himagnya Elaprolu said. “It’s a nice escape where I don’t have to think about stress over school or anything else.”
A survey conducted by Jetcost found that 104 million people travel by driving to their holiday destination with 35% of them preferring to travel to warm destinations to escape the cold. A popular place to travel to during winter is Cancun because its temperature is in the low 80s and many people look to have a short escape from the chilly weather back home. According to Road Genius, December is one of the peak tourist months with 918,425 people visiting Cancun.
“I’m not a huge fan of cold weather, so my family likes to travel to warm places,” senior Himagnya Elaprolu said. “One of my favorite destinations we went to would be Cancun because it’s a beautiful place and there’s always a variety of activities to do so you never get bored.”
Choosing a place like the Bahamas for a change of scenery is also a way to spend time off. According to Tourism Analytics, 36% of tourists choose the Bahamas as a vacation destination, specifically in the winter.
“This year, my family’s switching it up and traveling to the Bahamas,” junior Rishi Jagarlapudi said. “Even though I prefer to stay inside, it’ll be a nice change.”
Staying In
Some people go on a staycation by participating in activities like playing board games or watching holiday movies. According to Statista, the most watched holiday movie during the winter is “Home Alone”, with 87% percent of respondents saying they watched it.
“I like staying inside since it makes the winter vibe more apparent,” Jagarlapudi said. “I do miscellaneous activities like watching movies, playing board games, and hanging out with my friends”
According to Ipsos, 52% of Americans make or decorate gingerbread houses. Rajeev’s favorite winter break memory is visiting her cousins’ house for a gingerbread house competition with her family. According to English Heritage, gingerbread house structures originated in Germany, and spread to Britain, eventually becoming a tradition throughout many countries.
“I love decorating gingerbread houses because everyone’s always so creative with it,” Rajeev said.
