The holiday season has always been something that is thought of as a joyful, happy occasion for people all across the world. And on a Catholic campus like Villanova, the importance of Christmas spirit and camaraderie is all the more talked about. But as we get farther into the season, it’s common for many college students to begin to feel melancholy. Why is this? Why is a time that should be filled with so much love and warmth often so difficult for us to navigate? And, how can we try and overcome this?

I feel like the most obvious answer that people often gravitate towards when trying to explain holiday blues is seasonal depression. And while yes, it’s common to struggle with this when it gets dark at 4 p.m. every day, there are also practices and feelings surrounding Christmas that can cause sadness.

For one thing, Christmas, and most other winter holidays for that matter, place heavy emphasis on the importance of community and family. College students return home for Winter Break, go to gatherings and spend time with their loved ones, but sometimes, things can start to feel different. The sad truth is that many college students are at the age where it’s common to start losing loved ones, especially grandparents. And when a holiday like Christmas is traditionally celebrated with those people, it feels like the season is incomplete without their presence. For others, going home may serve as a reminder of the people in their lives that are getting older. I know that for myself, losing a grandparent close to the holidays was sobering, as it was almost like I’d been taken out of life here at school and was living in limbo. When one has spent 18 years of their life celebrating with the same people, and one is suddenly missing from the crowd, something just doesn’t feel right.

Sophomore CLAS student Gianna Lauria spoke of her thoughts on the matter.

“Now instead of being excited, I’m sort of viewing it more as, ‘Well, okay, maybe this is the last time this holiday is gonna be spent with this relative,” or focusing on making the most of it, or having to make it special, or how the holidays are going to be different if this is the last Christmas with them,” Lauria said. “It brings about ideas of change, which a lot of people are uncomfortable with, especially me. So, it’s definitely hard.”

What Lauria had to say is sad, but true. Whether it’s a grandparent, parent or other loved one, with age comes loss. And yes, change is something that most people are uncomfortable with. No one wants to see the people and things they love have to suffer or deteriorate.

But how can I save this article from being nothing more than a depressing list of things to not look forward to over Winter Break? Well, there are things that we can do to change the way that we look at the holidays.

So, we may be at the point in our lives where we’re starting to lose people. That’s a fact, and there’s nothing that we can do to change that. But think: what about losing those people makes us feel sad? The reason we grieve our loved ones is because they’ve given us the gifts of mentorship and love. And while it may be time for some of them to go, that means that it’s time for us to pass the gift on. Think back on the memories you have of your childhood Christmases, and ask yourself what made you the happiest. Then take that, and give it to the kids that you know. Tell you little cousins stories about the time that you “saw” Santa Claus. Make your grandmother’s favorite Christmas cookies. Put the star on top of the tree. Things may be different, but it doesn’t mean that the magic is gone.