Searcy, AR (LP) — Ah, Christmas. The most wonderful time of year. There are so many different things to like about this particular holiday. The atmosphere, the decorations, the carols, the treats, the gatherings of family and friends… the list just goes on and on. Of course, everyone has different things that they like and dislike about the holiday season.  It’s only natural for people to have differing opinions. The interesting part is what they disagree on. So what do the the students of Searcy High School think the about Christmas?

In general, it seems that the students of Searcy are a bit divided on their feelings toward     X-mas. A study of the students shows that most of them are at least happy about the holiday (with some being extremely overjoyed), something that that seems like a no-brainer as, like freshman Andrew Earley put it, “Christmas time is a happy, cheery time.” Others are a bit more unsure, having mixed feelings for the Christmas season. And the reasoning for these feelings sound like much more than simple Grinch-iness; as one junior explained, “I like Christmas movies and the decorations, but when you don’t have a very good family it sucks.”

One of the biggest dividing points can be Christmas carols. After all, there are so many to choose from! From the older, much more religious and traditional carols to the more recent and secular ones, from those that found their start here in the U.S. to tunes that originated back in Europe. Of course, from the results of survey that was taken of a random handful of students, it seems like a big favorite for Searcy kids is the classic ‘Jingle Bells’! It’s not that hard to see why; a well-known song, ‘Jingle Bells’ is almost eponymous with the Christmas at this point. Runners up include ‘Carol of the Bells’, ‘Mary, Did You Know?’, and ‘Little Donkey’.

Of course, like everything in life, even Christmas has its downsides. Just about anyone that you ask will agree that there are some parts of the holiday that nobody likes. For instance, no one likes getting roped into, “Cleaning up afterwards.” complained senior Nicholas Seymore. And while Christmas is supposed to be about giving to others and being generous, it can be disappointing, “That people look over the main reason of Christmas.”, as noted by senior Myah Summerland.

At the end of the day, though, this season is all about joy and generosity, something that most people seem to understand and appreciate.