It is finally December. While the rest of the nation becomes engrossed with consumer mania, Choate students are excitedly engaged in the rituals that make this time of year so special. After Sunday’s first major snowfall, a blanket of white winter wonder covered the campus grounds as holiday spirit began to cover us all. Last Thursday, Hill House circle sprang to life with the enchanting illumination of the large pine tree. ‘The moment that the lights come on is the exact moment that the holiday magic begins,” noted Chelsea Laverack ’07.

While Choate has continually done its best to promote a tasteful, well-rounded celebration of the holiday season, many students are currently taking festivity into their own hands. For sixth formers David Lighton, Sterling Kouri, Chris Tonucci, and Sam Greenfield, December is all about spreading true holiday spirit. According to Kouri, the boys are members of an elite brotherhood that “venerates Santa Clause, but is not bound by religious affiliation.” As part of their holiday duties, they put up festive signs, wear Santa hats, and distribute oversized candy canes.

When asked what he liked most about the Holiday season, Chris Tonucci said, “There are so many things, like dashing in the snow. I mean, when else can you do that?” During the cold month of December, Tonucci and his roommate, Greenfield , take great pleasure in decorating their room with holiday garb. “It kind of connects us to home,” explained Greenfield who has a great love for Christmas music. “My person favorite is “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey.”

For Kouri, spreading cheer is a well organized and intense obligation. “We employ a variety of cheer spreading methods. The two most important are impromptu cheering and unauthorized pamphleting. We distribute holiday images about the campus to generate excitement and spread awareness. Impromptu cheering is a practice championed by my colleague David Lighton, who wishes happy holidays to random passer-bys.” Lighton, who said that he enjoys being able to “separate the holiday grinches from the non-grinches”, takes his job in the brotherhood just as seriously.

However, according to one critic, “Christmas is meant to celebrate the holy and glorious birth of Jesus Christ— not to sit around eating candy canes, opening expensive gifts, and glorifying a fat man in a red suit.” In addition, others believe that student-organized celebrations are often too focused on Christmas, with little emphasis on other holidays, such as Hanukkah or Kwanza. “I think people need to give Hanukkah a bit more exposure during the holiday season,” remarked Sara Shapiro ‘06, who observes the Jewish holidays. “There also need to be more non-denominational options available. For instance, you can include more participants in popular gift-giving activities by changing ‘Secret Santa’ to ‘Secret Snowflake.’”

Others believe that these once “Christian” symbols have transformed into a neutral holiday representation that can be observed by all. As Kouri points out, “Santa is a jovial and perfect character... a vehicle for karmic retribution. Bad people are given coal, whereas good people are rewarded with gifts. It is in one sense an ideal of society. In a more global sense, it represents the epic battle of good and evil. It is the overcoming of [evil] that makes this holiday great.”

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza, true holiday spirit is about spreading love and kindness. So, during this season, turn off all distractions and sit quietly in the light of your Christmas tree or in the glow of your menorah, and think about why you celebrate. After all, this is the most wonderful time of the year.