The Turducken is a savory catch-all dish popular during the winter months. It consists of a chicken stuffed inside of a duck stuffed inside of a turkey. Hence, turkey, duck, chicken — tur-duck-en. Similar to a turducken, the holidays of the winter months often find themselves sharing time with the others. They are practically stuffed within each other.

From September to December, people are gearing up to celebrate the holidays, but which holiday is being celebrated and when changes from person to person. Halloween, Día de los Muertos, Thanksgiving, Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa all make the ‘-ber’ months special in their own ways. Since there is no set time to begin festivities, the overlapping of peoples’ celebrations leads to disagreements about the ‘proper’ way to spend these months.

The stuffing of the Turducken holidays comes into account with the timing. Some people listen to Christmas music from the first of November up until February. Others start planning Thanksgiving dinners in October and chow down on leftovers in the weeks following. Corporate businesses are known to set pumpkins and scarecrows out for sale in late August, and Winter Wonderlands start being set up as early as September.

It can be confusing walking into stores and immediately being confronted with bags of candy for Halloween, sales for turkey and ham, and Santa Clauses wrapped in blinking strings of lights. It’s hard to tell what time of the year it really is. There is a sense of pressure to start festivities on the commercial schedule rather than at my own pace.

My favorite ways to kick off this spooky season are with a Scooby Doo movie marathon and listening to Halloween songs like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the Ghostbusters theme for the month and a half before October 31. Thanksgiving takes the form of dirty dishes, overfilled ovens, conflicting but delicious smells, and stolen bites of whatever is on the menu. As soon as the cool autumn breeze comes in, I start baking fall treats for my friends, family, and myself. Christmas time comes in the form of pajamas, hot chocolate, and cheesy holiday hallmark movies.

Knowing that the “ber” months are marked by traditions and unique festivities, it is important to look at how others show their holiday spirit in order to understand differences in values. For instance, senior Ethan Boggs starts to celebrate Christmas as December begins. He does this by spending time at Holiday World. Senior Harper Scott’s favorite holiday of the season is Halloween. She dresses up, goes to Trunk-or-Treat with the CHHS band, and passes out candy in her neighborhood. Sydney Rowser, a junior, begins festivities for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. For Christmas, Rowser’s family gathers at her great-grandmother’s house where they eat broccoli casserole, chocolate pie, and other delicious foods. The day after, she celebrates her birthday with cake. Senior Clair Nusbaumer’s family starts to prepare for Christmas weeks in advance as they build a piñata to destroy on Christmas Eve. 

No matter how you celebrate these many holidays — whether it’s one at a time, or all at once — it is important to remember that this is a time to do what you love with the ones you love. There is an aspect to this season that surrounds festivities with care for yourself and others. It is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, after all. Maybe putting pumpkins out on your doorstep in September isn’t for you. For some, setting up tinsel and wreaths as soon as the trick-or-treaters are finished counting up candies feels like rushing the season along. Everyone is festive in their own way, but however you are, it’s important that it leaves you looking forward to your celebrations each year. The turducken holidays are the best time to take a breather from the fast-paced world and spend some time for yourself. Happy holidays, everyone!