As soon as Thanksgiving ended, the Christmas cheer came in full force: trees are being sold outside of grocery stores, Christmas music is being played 24/7 on local radio stations and the town decorations are being dug out of their storage boxes.

With Thanksgiving done, there are only a few short weeks left before the end of the semester, three weeks to be exact. Students came back to campus after the holiday weekend to the change in the holiday season. Fall decorations were taken down and Christmas began to go up. 

The Christmas tree in the plaza on Rowan Boulevard went up sometime this weekend, along with other decorations along the boulevard.

HFM Investment Advisors, LLC, located right on Rowan Boulevard, had an artist come right before students left for Thanksgiving and had them paint a beautiful winter scene on their windows. 

TV channels are sending out their Christmas movie list for the entire month of December, along with Netflix and Hulu putting out their holiday movies. 

Thanksgiving brings a time for thankfulness and enjoying the company of the ones you love, but it’s also the start to the season of wonder. Thanksgiving is the start to the holiday season, a time to celebrate each other and give back to the community. Not only do Christmas lights bring on a feeling of happiness and joy, but they make people reminisce, remembering a time of happiness and magic. 

According to an article on today.com by writer Rheana Murray, putting up the Christmas tree early can actually make a person happier. Murray interviewed psychologist Deborah Serani to see how decorating can lift moods. 

“But what is it, exactly, about Christmas decorations that triggers those happy hormones?” Serani said. “For starters, the bright lights and colors. Chromotherapy, or color therapy, which is thought to increase energy levels and boost happiness, might be at play. Or maybe it’s just the ambiance in general — who can resist smiling at the sight of a Christmas tree being lit for the first time?”

Not only is decorating for Christmas a joyful act, but it also brings nostalgia and the remembrance of a magical time. 

College students can enjoy the decorations around campus, but they can also join in and decorate for Christmas too. Dorms can be decorated with a small Christmas tree that can be bought at Shop Rite. 

Rowan University goes to great lengths to celebrate the Christmas season with their annual Boro in Lights event on December 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. During this event, everyone from the community comes together to witness the lighting of the tree, along with getting photos taken with Santa, horse and carriage rides, a human snow globe and more fun activities for children and adults. 

Glassboro Mayor John E. Wallace III believes that this year’s Boro in Lights will be the best they’ve had. 

“We expect this year’s annual tradition of Boro in Lights to be the biggest and brightest ever as we celebrate our beautiful downtown and officially kick off the holiday season,” Wallace said. “It is our goal to bring the community together for family fun and encourage the community to help those in need, so please be sure to bring a Toy-for-a-Tot, gently used coats and canned food for those less fortunate.”

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