As the days get colder and colder in Ohio, many believe the world makes up for it by providing a plethora of fun and meaningful holidays! Between October and January, there are a number of holidays that everyone looks forward to each year. A common debate during these festive months has always been over which holiday is the best.
While it is impossible to say which holiday is the “best,” it is possible to determine which holiday the students at BBHHS are most excited about. A survey was sent out to the students, and results have been determined from 78 responses. Before the exact results are given, there will be a short history lesson for the two holidays that were by far the most popular, Halloween and Christmas.
According to history.com, the tradition of Halloween comes from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. This festival took place to ward off ghosts and was celebrated by lighting bonfires and wearing costumes. Then, in the eighth century, Pope Gregory III declared November 1, All Saints Day. Over time, the two traditions merged to form what we now know as Halloween, a day of carving pumpkins, meeting with friends, trick or treating, and wearing fun costumes.
Celebrated at the end of the year on December 25, is Christmas. History.com refers to Christmas as “a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon.” The Holiday was created by Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, however, in recent centuries, it has turned into a holiday that is not exclusively religious. Christmas has been a federal holiday in the US since 1870, and traditions include setting up and decorating an evergreen tree, attending church, eating meals with large groups of family and friends, exchanging gifts, and of course the beloved tradition of waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.
However, this begs the question of which of these holidays is more popular, and were there any other holidays that stood a chance? Of the other holidays that were mentioned in the survey, 6.4% of people said New Year’s was their favorite, as well as 3.8% that said Thanksgiving, and a singular vote for Yule, both Halloween and Christmas, and Talk like a Pirate Day (Sept 19) respectively.
According to the survey, taking up an overwhelming amount of the votes at 71.8% or 56 votes was none other than the snowy holiday of Christmas. Halloween fell behind by a significant number, holding the second-highest number of votes at 14.1% or 11 votes.
In addition to the main question, there was also an additional question on the survey that asked students how festive they were during their favorite holiday on a scale from 1-5, with one being the least festive and five being the most. 75.7% of student reported being at a four or higher, signaling that they were both excited and festive during their favorite holiday.
The students at BBHHS have spoken, and Christmas is the most widely accepted favorite holiday.
