Brush up on your carols, hang that mistletoe and start writing those letters to Santa because the “most wonderful season of all” is finally here. The ways the holidays are spent vary from Warhawk to Warhawk, making each tradition extra special.

Christmas traditions can involve religion, Santa Claus, family gatherings or maybe a combination.

Life in the Bible Belt almost guarantees religious Christmas celebrations. Christmas traditions do not always involve religion for everyone though.

“I do not celebrate X-mas for religious purposes,” said Tim Hardham, senior finance major of Melbourne, Australia. “As a small child X-mas was all about getting cool presents and the thrill of Santa being around, but as I have gotten older it has become solely about being with my family and friends and just enjoying their company.”

Traditions sometimes do involve religious aspects. A lot of churches host Christmas events such as a Christmas play or have a special Christmas service.

“My church does a hanging of the green service where the Christmas story is told. It’s really pretty to watch the church get decorated and hear the Christmas story,” said Bethany Mitchell, a junior nursing major from Pollock.

Religion aside, most everyone knows of Santa Claus and has their favorite story of staying up for the jolly, old man.

“I had been keeping watch for Santa at the living room window for hours when all of the sudden I saw red lights go by. I was then convinced that I had just witnessed Rudolph leading Santa’s sleigh away from my house. Of course in retrospect, Rudolph turned out to be an airplane, but at five, magic transforms everything,” said sophomore Ashley Boykin, a risk management and insurance major from Shreveport.

While she may not lose sleep over Santa anymore, Boykin said she plans to spend the holidays at home spending time with her family.

Of course Santa would never dream of dropping in without a plate of cookies waiting for him.

What is Santa’s favorite cookie? According to an article on About.com, Oreos were the best selling cookie of the 20th century. Maybe Santa read the article too.

Christmas brings celebration and tradition. Whether religion is involved or not, whether Santa Claus is a household name or never mentioned or whether celery is preferred to Oreos, in the words of Buddy theElf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”

Merry Christmas!