Amidst the Christmas lights, freshly plowed roads and crashing of sleds at the bottom of every hill in town, a relatively new shift is infiltrating holiday cheer: cute couple ideas you must do this winter! For the last few years, the same couples’ trends have been resurfacing: we see joint costumes and apple picking in the fall and matching pjs and cookie decorating in the winter. Although these activities are cute, they are also in danger of becoming redundant, causing some to be labeled as annoying or cringe. These repetitive trends fail to incorporate spontaneity, something so desirable and romantic.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t get matching pjs, but you should try not to limit yourself to that. If your friend makes fun of you for doing so, ask yourself if they’re mocking you for being in love or mocking the image they have of you as a fourteen-year-old girl they saw crying on TikTok because she had no one to get matching pajamas with this December. Such mainstream trends also pose the threat of losing authenticity, especially if you repeat the same ones with new partners.
It would make it a little harder to enjoy your winter break with a pit in your stomach, seeing posts of your ex and their new partner partaking in the same activities you guys once did, but if half of the world is aware of these trends, can you really blame them? You can’t really take it that personally. Wouldn’t you like to share something so unique with a person that, if they tried to share a moment similar with anyone else, it would be impossible to not take it personally? Of course, many things are going to be repeated with new partners, and that’s normal: fancy dinners, going to the movie theaters, family birthday parties. What separates those activities from seasonal trends is an inaccurate perception of popularity.
New seasons bring new perceptions and new sights. Views from the top of chair lifts in winter turn into views of meadows as far as the eye can see in April, composed of grass the color of peas, standing as tall as our arms. Embrace the world’s beauty in your everyday life. At night, turn off the lights and watch the snow fall from your dorm room window. Make a flower crown for your friend in the summer. Build each other as snowmen. Paint pumpkins in the fall and roast the seeds. Make someone else’s dream home out of gingerbread. Volunteer with friends at local soup kitchens during the holidays. Go sledding, hiking, white water rafting, skiing, ice skating, surfing, boogie boarding, star gazing, explore places you’ve never been. Make your own Christmas stockings, personalized holiday cards, themed charcuterie boards, ornaments, jewelry, playlists.
A change in weather and holidays allows for cheer that can be celebrated in any way you’d like. Don’t think that a few select trends are the only way to measure your love for the time of year and the people you are spending it with. There are infinite ways to celebrate these times and an infinite way to love people. None of these acts are exclusive to romantic relationships either. Enjoy the festivities with anyone you care about, in the ways that make you the happiest.
