Students express dislike for parts of holiday culture

The winter holidays are usually thought to be enjoyable. Those cold days seem to be times of good cheer, fantastic food, happy families and Yuletide gifts.

Yet according to some students, these holidays are not always filled with fun. As with most things, the holidays have their own drawbacks that take away from the normally joyful spirit.
Senior Jocelyn Takahashi said that her biggest problem with the holidays is the omnipresent and incessant music.

“I think the worst holiday songs on the radio are those bad remakes of songs. Come on, guys. The originals have their own Christmas-y beauty,” Takahashi said.

In addition, Takahashi said another of her annoyances is how early radio stations start playing Christmas songs.

“What bugs my dad—and as a result, kind of bugs me as well—is when every radio station starts playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving is over,” Takahashi said.

Takahashi is not the only one who feels this way. Sophomore Eric Taw is of the same opinion about how overplayed holiday songs are.

“My mom always puts KOIT on the radio in her car and every year they play Christmas songs for a whole month,” Taw said. “I get sick of just about every holiday song they broadcast.”

Taw said there are not any particular songs he dislikes hearing during the holiday season.

“Every holiday song is pretty bad. That’s usually when I try to avoid [my mom’s] car like the plague,” Taw said.

Freshman Abby Foss agrees with Taw and Takahashi on these points, adding that she cannot stand hearing some of the popular holiday music on the radio.

“‘Santa Baby’ is just weird, but ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’ is super annoying,” Foss said.

In addition, Foss said she is in aversion to particular holidays foods. According to Foss, her mom prepares a potato and sweet potato dish every year, as well as an Asian pear salad that she dislikes.

“Personally, I don’t like mashed potatoes in general and I also don’t like pears,” said Foss. “Unfortunately I’m the only one that doesn’t like these dishes [in my family], so my mom still makes them.”

Foss is not alone in having dislikes when it comes it the holiday season. Junior Michelle Chan also has her pet peeves about holiday foods.

“I do not understand why people drink eggnog ever. I had one sip of it before and I spit that stuff out,” Chan said.

Chan does not think she is alone in this aversion.

“It is gross,” Chan said. “I bet I’m not the only one [who thinks this].”

According to Taw, sometimes the disagreeable parts of the holiday season are overshadowed by the enjoyable parts, and still enjoys the winter season in spite of the drawbacks.

“People tend to have more tolerance for the bad stuff that happens to them [during the holidays] while at the same time focusing more on the good stuff,” Taw said.