Everyone has their favorite time of the year. Whether it be summer, fall, winter or spring, one thing is for sure; there are always students struggling to figure out whose house they’ll be going to. Will they be going to their mom’s or dad’s place? This time is especially hard during holidays, but mainly Christmas.

Christmas is the time of year where family is everything. Everyone gathers around the Christmas tree and spreads joy all around. Christmas parties and gift exchanges are exciting, but spending the holiday with family and close friends is what it’s all about.

What is it like, though, when parents are split up and no longer together? This makes the holiday much more difficult. Kids are forced to run around from place to place, trying to make an appearance at every relative’s house. How exactly is this done? Is it hard or is it now a normal part of the routine?

According to Elle Fietsam, junior, “Christmas is a hard time of the year because it’s never the same as when we were younger. It’s difficult to get all of my siblings together, and when we’re together, it’s awkward because all of us know that we’ll never get back our childhood. [Our parents] are still fighting for custody, even 5 years later, so I never know who I’ll be with for holidays.”

This is the case in most separated families. The children aren’t quite sure where their holiday will be spent. If they do know where the holiday is spent, the other parent normally gets frustrated and fights for their time with their kids.

In other cases, though, Christmas is a shared holiday between the two parents where they each agree the holiday will be split. Most children like this better because they are able to spend the holiday with not only one parent, but both.

Haley Moore, sophomore, stated, “I do sometimes split the day with my parents, but normally I spend Christmas Eve with my dad’s side and Christmas morning with my mom’s. It makes things a lot easier and less hectic. My parents then don’t need to miss out on the holiday with their family with driving me from place to place.”

However Christmas is spent, most who celebrate it know it’s a time for peace, love, and joy. It doesn’t matter how many family members you have, how many gifts you are given, or who is all with you on the actual day of Christmas.

Fietsam explained that even with the arguing between her parents on who gets to be with her for holidays, she always makes the best out of it. She knows it isn’t always going to be spent with the same person, so she tries to enjoy the moments while they last.

The way holidays are spent differ for each person, which is what makes this time of year unique and treasured by many.