What does your ideal day look like in the winter? Many people enjoy playing video games, watching movies, or going snowboarding. Even though there isn’t much to do in a small town like New Hartford, Christmas seems to be a favorite holiday for many people.
Caitlin Greene, a student at New Hartford, finds enjoyment in skiing. She likes spending her time at Woods Valley when it’s a cold and snowy day. She also likes going ice skating at the rec. Caitlin’s favorite part about winter is her birthday and spending a lot of time with friends. Since she has Christmas, New Years, and her birthday to celebrate in December, she spends a lot of time with loved ones and has a busy schedule. Caitlin shared that her favorite thing to see is how the town puts up lots of lights and is very festive about the holidays. She also enjoys watching the parade that takes place in the New Hartford Shopping Center. Her favorite thing about it is how they go around towns of New Hartford and drive around on fire trucks.
“It brings a lot of cheer to the town and sets up that Christmas spirit,” Caitlin said.
Decorating is one of Caitlin’s favorite things to do when this season comes around. Every year, she helps her mom put up lights and Christmas signs around her house to bring out the holiday spirit of the Greene’s. Another thing she and her mom do is make cookies for their loved ones and neighbors and drive around handing them out. Caitlin described her perfect Christmas day involves waking up, drinking hot chocolate, going skiing, and then spending the rest of her day watching Christmas horror movies with friends.
Sofia Velletto, a senior at New Hartford, works at Hollister at the Sangertown Square Mall. Stores like this can be very chaotic for people to shop in during Christmas time because everyone is trying to buy gifts for their family.
“There are constant lines and questions being asked. It gets overwhelming at some points especially when business comes in waves,” Sofia shared.
She thinks some people are very impatient, but some can also be super nice. Like many people, Sofia loves to spend her time snowboarding at Woods Valley and really enjoys being in the snow.
“It’s fun to watch the sun set on a snowy day,”Sofia said.
Sofia loves the idea of not having school and getting more time to be with her friends and family. She is a Christian and attends church and also looks forward to the new year. Something that she has noticed is that the village of New Hartford is all decorated along with the fire house. She enjoys seeing the pavilion in the town park lit up.
“I like when there’s feet of snow and all the trees are covered on Oxford Road. It’s so pretty,” Sofia said.
But she hates when the roads aren’t plowed. A perfect day for Sofia is to wake up on Christmas morning, go downstairs and gather her family around and they all open presents in their living room. They love spending time with their grandparents and watching everyone open presents.
“We would all eat a bagel from the Bagel Grove because it’s our tradition so we would leave to go to my great Aunt’s house for dinner, which is lunch and dinner. After that we all spend time as a family and then I go home and sleep,” Sofia said.
Mr. Ryan, an important staff member of the NHCSD, loves spending time with his family, getting away from school for a bit, or in his words, “taking a break from the grind.”
“I like to just relax at home with my four kids; do a few outings, but mostly hang at home with the family,” Mr. Ryan said.
He shares that they like to watch Christmas movies and drink hot cocoa and eat popcorn while relaxing on the couch with everyone. They also make gingerbread houses and cookies, and play lots of games which he describes as fun.
“That time of year to remember how lucky we are. To show others how much we value them with words and time shared (that and presents, but the presents don’t mean as much). It is the feeling we should have every day that we often forget. But at Christmas time, we remember,” Mr. Ryan said.
Mr. Ryan describes his perfect day to include going sledding down Woodberry Hill, then back home to bake cookies, followed by watching their favorite Christmas movie, Home Alone.
Everyone’s perfect day in the winter involves snowboarding and watching movies. What does your perfect day in the cold weather look like? Leave a comment and let us know!
