Just a hint of peppermint and everything begins to feel like Christmas. The holly jolly season is here as we know it. The trees are lit, stockings hung, and the cookies frosted. Awaiting one big secret that slowly gets brighter as we get older. The big man himself, who knows who has been good or bad, and when your head hits your pillow, which for students like myself very infrequent. Santa Claus is the face of the holiday in the eyes of children across the globe, but how old is the stopping point of the naughty and nice list, and the beginning of asking for clothes, money, and family time after the final tests of the semester. 

“I was at recess just like every other student,” sophomore Alayna Runk said. “A friend came up to me, and ask what I wanted for the holiday, then the secret was leaked.

The cat can be let out of the bag in many ways, and for Runk it was on the playground in the life of a third grader. 

Just like Runk, junior Bode Carter also found out from friends.

“They were talking about it, so I came to a conclusion,” Carter said.

If you are a younger sibling, sometimes things will not be in your favor: being picked on, the hand down of clothes, and the secrets are let out. 

“My sisters kind of ruined it for me,” sophomore Kat Nelson said. “When I was younger, It was more “oh Santa and presents, as I got older I like to give and make others happy.”

The holiday cheer is being able to sing loud for all to hear. It doesn’t matter the price of gift, size, or material. Life is too short and there is too much to enjoy. Dec. 25 is just around the corner, so remember to hug a loved one and sing a carol, congratulations on finishing out this semester my fellow Eagles. And never let the belief of santa discourage your spirit, because for some they still may believe it. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I still believe in Santa,” art teacher Christina Carlson said.