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In American culture, October through February are more or less about the holidays nonstop.

October kicks it off with Halloween, followed shortly after by Thanksgiving in November, then quickly onto December with Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanzaa. January falls into its place with New Years, and February more or less settles the count with Valentine’s Day.

So it seems that when the weather gets cold, Americans fall to the comfort of celebration.
But why is it that people find such joy in the holiday season?

“My favorite thing about the holidays is probably seeing family, decorating the Christmas tree, and the cold weather,” Kelsea Magaline, a sophomore, noted.

Many people do enjoy the altogether atmosphere of the holidays, but another thing that crosses a large majority of people’s minds is something much different.

Presents. According to Wikipedia’s page on the holiday season, VISA reported that, in 2004, spending was somewhere in between 8 to 19 percent higher than it had been on Black Friday.

In 2006, it was also estimated that an average family in America spends about $1,700 on their holiday gifts.

Although commercial aspects seem to be a large component, there will always be the underlying joy of the holiday season.