Thanksgiving Isn't as Good as Christmas by Ava Grant
Why does Christmas so Heavily Overshadow Thanksgiving? by Jonathan Wu
Holiday Music by Gavin Rittgers
Overweight Holidays by Mary Ellen Morrison
A Review of Mamma Mia
Post-pandemic, people are still recovering, sad, and cynical. Nothing seems to be good enough, and everyone is in a rough mood, but in the midst of sadness, what do many people do? Sit down, get cozy, and eat sugar. Well, guess what? Spring Hill's Theater provided a 2 hour reprieve from the post-pandemic blues with what felt like a giant cup of hot chocolate for the soul.
The show opened with the beautiful Sophie (Savannah Easterling) singing alone on stage. My first thought: "She must be terrified!" She boldly and quickly enraptured the audience, engaging everyone in the show and distracting all from the woes of the world while singing with a rich, smooth tone. (Not unlike our beverage of comfort.) She was soon joined by her two "best friends" (Abby Tam and Ella Riley) whose on-stage chemistry truly made us feel like we were watching a reunion of best friends. In a parallel scene, Donna (Sophie's mom, played by Abigail Curran), meets with her two "best friends" as well (played by Macie Love and Hayden Cohen). The two friends kept the audience enraptured and in doubled-over laughter, another source of joy and laughter the audience truly needed.
The boys, accompanying the girls, brought their own sense of laughter and joy, especially when Sky (played by Caleb Doty) showed up in a wedding dress. Olivia Wamai did a lovely job playing a young boy, pursuing the older lady (Macie Love), and added to the humor, while Matthew Doty served as the humorous servant-boy. Harry Bright (Christopher DiLorenzo) played a truly lovable character, while Bill Austin (Jamie Anderson) was being chased by Rosie (Hayden Cohen) in a light-hearted duet with some beautiful harmonies. Asher Thompson and Abigail Curran brought the audience to tears with their rendition of "Winner Takes it All," weaving their music together in a lovely melding of sound. And who doesn't love Garrett Lewis playing the preacher? The chorus brought a solid background and performed dances to establish the overall jovial tone of the play.
After seeing the show, I heard many audience members remark on the sensational talent of the cast and crew members. The songs were difficult, the tone was hard to maintain, and the jovial mood of the play was a task for a post-pandemic audience. However, this theater cast and crew truly brought the audience to its feet and gifted them with joy and laughter in a time when both are scarce. If you missed it, find a cast member, and ask for a quick rendition. It will bring joy to your spirit!
Cast Members: Sophie Sheridan: Savannah Easterling Ali: Abby Tam Lisa: Ella Riley Donna Sheridan: Abigail Curran Tanya: Macie Love Rosie: Hayden Cohen Sky: Caleb Doty Pepper: Olivia Wamai Eddie: Matthew Doty Harry Bright: Christopher DiLorenzo Bill Austin: Jamie Anderson Sam Carmichael: Asher Thompson Father Alexandrios: Garrett Lewis Chorus: Alexandra Gibson, Fiona Schrier, Jaylin Lopez, Ishveen Gujral, Skylar Raynor, Breanna Tepper, Grace Risha, Reagan Smith, Saina Srivastava, Savannah Bramlett, Ann Nagel Sky Chorus: Garrett Lewis, Quamiyeh Burton, Nigel Johnson, Isaiah Dickson Dance Chorus: Mary Claire Williams, Cassia Holden, Carmen Licata, Cierra Raynor, Ava Upton, LynnLea Bostic, Brady Davis
Thanksgiving Isn't as Good as Christmas by Ava Grant
Artwork by Reagan Taylor
Thanksgiving is known for giving thanks and spending time with your family. But so is Christmas. During Thanksgiving the common pattern of events is eat turkey (extremely basic by the way), watch football, pass out from eating the turkey, and then live every claustrophobic person’s nightmare. Black Friday is a whole other thing. It is like a funeral for your checkbook, credit cards, and straight up sanity in the span of twenty four hours. NO THANKS! However, I do credit Thanksgiving with one crucial contribution. After it is over, it is time for Christmas! Well, unless you are anything like me and Christmas is actually a year-round occasion. Personally, I think it is a waste to take the decorations down because the tinsel, garland, and most importantly, the Christmas tree have this strange ability to make even the smallest moments in life feel like a winter wonderland. Decorating the Christmas tree is an experience like no other. It has the ability to remind us of all the memories of past Christmas years and make us hopeful for more in the future. Baking cookies with family and friends, with the smell of cinnamon and sugar wafting through the air, is nostalgic. Singing carols, no matter how horrendous our voices may be, makes us unite together in our love for the season. Giving gifts to those we love might be by far one of the best experiences; however, the gift doesn’t have to be just a material thing. The gift of memories that we make during the holidays are what we keep close to our hearts for the rest of our lives. Being able to give someone something, a memory or a present, that can make them smile, even for just a moment, is the best part of Christmas. Thanksgiving is the holiday credited for giving thanks, but when it comes Christmas time, that is when I feel most grateful. The joy evident in people’s smiles, the genuine laughter, and the ability for people who are so different to come together to appreciate this time of year is what makes me thankful. At a time in all of our lives, with the pandemic, with family, with everything going on, the holiday season never fails to unite. It never ceases to bring joy. It is never ending in promise; it brings to children and adults alike. This is why the holiday that calls us to truly give thanks is not a time of eating turkey or maxing out credit cards, but a season that can make even Scrooge smile. Overall, just remember, Thanksgiving is kinda lame. No one wants to pass out from eating turkey (as I said before EXTREMELY basic) and then literally lose their mind fighting old ladies to get the flat screen TV on sale when you could be pulling a Santa and eating cookies while making others happy (sounds like a pretty great life if you ask me).
Why does Christmas so Heavily Overshadow Thanksgiving? by Jonathan Wu
Christmas is a holiday where nearly 2 billion people celebrate. It's seen as a time where a natural product of nature during the cold months can be turned into a symbol of Christmas joy. Thanksgiving, a holiday that is often overlooked by Christmas, is more than a day symbolized by baked turkey. It’s a day to give thanks, a day to give thanks to God, and this tradition has continued to the present day; yet why do we look past Thanksgiving and straight to Christmas? History and Religion Christmas and Thanksgiving both have links to Christianity, which is practiced by almost 2.4 billion people, but Christmas, historically, has more importance than Thanksgiving and has been celebrated for longer. The origin of Christmas stems from Christianity, celebrating the birth of Jesus, and was widely celebrated by the 9th century by Roman Catholic Churches. Thanksgiving’s origin is traced back to 1621, where the Plymouth colonists shared a meal with the natives that helped them. The Christian belief of God granting them a bountiful harvest during a time of torment led Thanksgiving to establish itself as a holiday of giving thanks. God granting help to those in need is a core idea of Christianity and is one of the things that attracted people to it. Christmas is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus, one of the cores of the religion itself. With Jesus being such a big presence in Christianity and Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus, it overshadows Thanksgiving because of its religious importance.
Pop Culture and Timing Thanksgiving has hilariously bad timing. It comes after the month of October, where the children are already sugar high, and right after Thanksgiving comes Black Friday and Cyber Monday. People aren’t just anticipating Christmas, they’re waiting for the day where they can save enormous amounts of money on gifts for it. Combined with this bad timing, pop culture also contributes to the overshadowing of Christmas. Christmas has so many iconic cultures with Santa Claus being recognized everywhere and a plethora of Christmas music. There are plenty of customs and traditions that come with Christmas, such as caroling and others. These traditions overshadow Thanksgiving, with the only iconic thing from Thanksgiving being the turkey and the Macy day parade. The lack of traditions on Thanksgiving makes it hard for people to feel a sense of nostalgia, it makes it hard to actually feel excited for a holiday where you just stuff yourself with turkey and give thanks to family and friends. The major tradition of gifts under the tree makes people excited, the anticipation for something wrapped in a box, the sense of mystery, all contribute to making Christmas that much more iconic. Presence in Other Cultures Thanksgiving has little presence in other cultures, while many do celebrate the idea of giving thanks in other ways, the holiday itself and the traditions that come with it are not present. Christmas, on the other hand, retains its traditions and customs, and some countries even add their own, such as Japan, where Christmas Eve is seen as a romantic holiday for couples. Christmas’s presence in other countries and cultures results from its traditions and from diffusion. Lack of information about Thanksgiving in other cultures led to the dominance of Christmas. The origin of Thanksgiving also contributed to its unnoticeable spread. Its dominantly American roots mean that this holiday stayed in America. While the idea of the holiday is present in many other cultures, mainly celebrating the change of seasons and giving thanks, the holiday itself is not present. Christmas, on the other hand, is a bit more universal, as its roots are connected to the spread of Christianity, and with Christianity being the most popular religion, it's natural for Christmas to be more celebrated. Christianity spread throughout the world with the help of the Europeans, and that is precisely one of the reasons why Christmas overshadows Thanksgiving. It has more influence around the world, way more traditions, and customs that entice celebrators of this holiday,
Holiday Music by Gavin Rittgers
Artwork by Reagan Taylor
From Perry Como to Mariah Carey, holiday music has been a staple of the winter months for centuries. Whether listening to it lets you relax as you sit by the fireplace, or you’ve heard it so often that it makes you want to scream so badly you throw a shoe at the radio; it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll be hearing those bells nonstop once November hits. But why are these tunes so popular, and what started it all in the first place? Luckily, you won’t have to scour the Internet for answers because they’re right here! The earliest holiday song can be traced back to the fourth century, when St. Hilary of Poitiers composed the Christian hymn “Jesus Refulsit Omnium(Jesus, Light of All the Nations)” in Latin. It’s believed that he composed it after the first Christmas celebration took place in A.D. 336. The hymn is pretty much a recollection of the life of Jesus Christ, and it began a tradition that is probably never going to go away. Since then, thousands of songs have been written to celebrate the winter holidays, whether they be for Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other type of celebration. Eventually, people began to make more modern versions of these songs. Then, people also created some new ones, and the holiday songs you know and quite possibly despise came into being. Throughout November and December, holiday music boasts some impressive feats. The number one best-selling holiday single is, you guessed it, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” with double the number of sales compared to the number two single, “Do You Want To Build a Snowman?” from Disney’s Frozen. Other notorious songs include Perry Como’s “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “Silver Bells,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Christmas.” Of course, I couldn’t end this paragraph without mentioning the songs you’d hear at a symphony concert, like “Jingle Bells,” “Deck the Halls,” “Sleigh Ride,” and “Carol of the Bells.” When it comes to holiday music, most people’s minds drift to Christmas, but there’s music for other winter holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, too! “I Have a Dreidel” is a Hanukkah song that revolves around the Jewish tradition of making a dreidel and playing with it. Kwanzaa has music for each of its seven nights, titled “Umoja,” “Kujichagulia,” “Ujima,” “Ujamaa,” “Nia,” “Kuumba,” and “Imani,” respectively. Unfortunately, other Kwanzaa songs are few in number, as it’s a fairly recent holiday, and the tradition doesn’t go back over a millennium unlike Christmas or Hanukkah. All in all, holiday music is classic, catchy, and, occasionally, downright annoying and probably infuriating, but you can’t deny that hearing the wave of bells and jingles brings at least some feeling. Throughout history, it’s been growing in popularity to the point where you won’t be able to get it out of your head by the time July comes around. Have a merry Christmas, and the next time you hear “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on the radio, remember all the copies of “Do You Want To Build a Snowman?” that you’ll have to buy in order to knock it down a peg.
Overweight Holidays by Mary Ellen Morrison
The holiday season is seen as a time of joyous celebration with family, friends, and FOOD. Now, whatever foods are provided on these holidays are subjective from household to household, person to person. Some might serve very healthy, organic, and sustainable meals. But let’s face it more often than now holidays are about having the time of our lives with the people we love. With that comes grandma’s mac and cheese, 10x great-grandmas cookies, and that amazing roast that the crazy uncle whips out at the last second. Now while that sounds amazing to us all right now we have to face the facts. Around 66% of Americans are overweight or obese, and these delicious holiday meals are not helping that. On average an American will gain 5 pounds of fat during the end of the year holiday season. While that might not seem like a lot, this season tends to get people out of their rhythm. Which in turn can lead to more and more weight gain. America struggles with obesity as it is but the fact we have so many different ethnicities, fast foods, take-outs, and generally, just foods that are bad for you doesn’t help. Now, this is not just an issue in the USA but it is very quickly becoming more of a dangerous and prominent issue in this country. Having so much fat in your body can lead to hundreds of different health issues that could all be avoided with a balanced moderate lifestyle. Now nobody is perfect and there are very few people who have a fully clean diet. But moderation of these foods, especially in this festive season, is vital to helping our nation lower its obesity rate to ensure a future for this country. Now in no way shape or form am I saying don’t go enjoy yourself and eat the crap out of your home-cooked, or delicious take-out meals. However, what I am saying is to make sure you get back into your rhythm to avoid unhealthy weight loss. Here at Spring Hill, we hope everyone has an amazing holiday season, and a fruitful end of year/new year full of health and happiness. Happy Turkey Day!
Alternatives for Thanksgiving by Sofia Segura
Thanksgiving is coming up, and while some may be looking forward to the festivities and feasting, it can be an uncomfortable time for others. Thanksgiving is often glorified as a “lovely feast” that pilgrims and Native Americans participated in, but this false narrative is incredibly harmful. It’s pertinent to recognize the real origins of Thanksgiving and to protest against the spreading of misinformation and crimes committed against indigenous people. When Thanksgiving is celebrated, it is upholding those hurtful values. If Thanksgiving makes you uncomfortable due to the mass genocide, inhumane treatment, or widespread racism that indigenous people faced in colonial America, there are alternatives to the holiday that you can participate in.
National Day of Mourning, for instance, aims to protest and educate people about the historical and ongoing struggles that native peoples face. It is traditionally held as a protest in Plymouth Massachusetts, but if you are unable to make it there, participate by further educating yourself and the people around you. Making an effort to organize a protest or opening conversations about these issues helps spread the open-mindedness and awareness that is desperately needed.
Another alternative is National day of Listening, which falls on the same day as Thanksgiving this year. The aim is for people to take the day to listen and learn from someone who is a member of a marginalized group. This focuses not only on indigenous people but also other marginalized groups who deserve recognition and support. November is Native American Heritage month; instead of celebrating Thanksgiving, you can amplify native voices, stories, and people. Consider visiting a local museum or doing research on Native American culture, experiences, and oppression. Use the day to immerse yourself in the reality of America’s history, and reflect on how the values you may hold impact those around you. National family week (spanning from November 19-25) encompasses Thanksgiving and doesn’t uphold its negative values. If you were planning on celebrating Thanksgiving but ignoring the negative history it carries, this is a worthwhile alternative. National Family Week allows you to spend meaningful time with family and celebrate each other. You can gather around and hold a large family gathering without indirectly honoring those negative principles. All of these alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving allow for education and connection between people while spreading more meaningful messages. Consider trying something new this year by celebrating in a way that is impactful and important to you.