What goes through your mind at the first sight of ankle deep snow? What goes through your mind at the first sound of a holiday jingle? What goes through your mind once you sink your teeth into your favorite Thanksgiving dish or tear through the wrapping of the biggest present under the Christmas tree? The holidays are here! Thanksgiving and Christmas have arrived.

Yes, they have, and there’s no avoiding the holiday spirit.

At what point in the year does the holiday spirit overwhelm you?

For me, it’s right after Halloween.

November 1 marks the start of the countdown to endless holiday specials on television, endless amounts of hot cocoa and marshmallows, endless holiday jingles, endless snowball fights, endless sports, endless everything.

I have a fondness for the holidays.

We all should have a fondness for the holidays — unless your name is the Grinch, you know.

Only one thing stands in the way of enjoying the holiday spirit to its maximum gratification.

Take a guess.

If you guessed school, you’re correct.

School has a way of draining you of every drop of happiness before the holidays.

There are so many papers I have to finish, there are too many damn numbers in this math problem, there are so many bad meals being served in this cafeteria.

But there’s so much joy in chowing down like a pig on that sweet potato pie Grandma made that I must get through this mind-numbing school week.

If it weren’t for holidays, school would be the death of me.

What was fun in school in August has become the dumbest part of school once the holidays come around.

No longer is sitting outside fun, no longer is wearing less clothing fun, and no longer is driving your car with the windows down fun.

The transition from hot to cold, from friends to family, from hip-hop/pop/country to holiday jingles has never felt so good.

After this week, I’m on a first class car ride home. What are the holidays without a home?

Think about it.

Are the holidays the holidays without a home?

I’ll answer that for you. No!

The holidays are meant for home.

Home and holidays go hand in hand like Fraser fir trees and Christmas. You’re supposed to spend the holidays at home surrounded by comfort, love, joy, and peace.

Spending your holidays at home is like turning your home into your dream vacation spot. You can’t replace the holidays in your home with any other setting in the world. Not even Paris or France could top that. As good as pictures with the Eiffel Tower may sound, tell me what’s better than taking holiday photos in ugly sweaters and watching A Christmas Story or A Christmas with Charlie Brown with your loved ones over a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket?

If you can think of any setting better, I would consider you to be the Grinch.

No, seriously, I would consider you the Grinch.

If the holiday-at-home pep talk didn’t get you in the holiday spirit, let’s talk the arts and crafts of the holidays.

What revs up the holiday spirit better than decking the halls or baking cookies? What about trimming the tree (decorations) or traveling down Candy Cane Lane? What about shopping for ugly sweaters together or preparing the food together?

I think it could be argued that the ways you get into the holiday spirit may be the most important part of the season. If the people around you feel inspired through your ways of showing holiday spirit, maybe they’ll follow along. And if they follow along, now we have a community who has fully embraced what the holidays are all about.

Like many of you, I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in months. What better time to go home when Thanksgiving is right around the corner?

And to think, we return to school for a brief moment and we’re right back home to continue the holiday season in Christmas. Doesn’t get better than that!

Happy holidays, Lions!