Imagine the perfect holiday gathering, one where parents are buzzing with excitement, gossiping about the latest news while their kids are enjoying “Polar Express” on the TV as snowflakes float down outside. A fire crackles in the living room next to a gleaming Christmas tree while a holiday playlist rings through the house.
So many of these holiday songs always refer to snow; so many holiday movies feature snow-covered settings; and, thanks to these subtle associations between the winter holidays and snow in the media, my subconscious also holds snow as a defining characteristic of the holidays.
It’s disappointing, however, when I realize there isn’t a single snowflake outside where we live. Without snow, so many entertaining options are unavailable in Saratoga — there’s no way to build snowmen, no way to have snowball fights and no way to sled or ski. In short, it’s a place lacking the most necessary Christmas ingredient.
Snow is the glue that holds everyone together during the holidays. Without it, nothing separates winter from fall, ruining the holiday spirit and the purpose of the gatherings.
Unfortunately, planning to go somewhere with snow isn’t the easiest task, either. It takes hours of traveling to the mountains, which takes a toll on everyone’s energy levels. In addition, these trips usually cost a lot of money, a sacrifice that isn’t always worth it. It takes so much effort to experience something that other people get daily in places like Minnesota, Montana and Michigan.
If it were, by some miracle, to snow locally this year, stereotypical holiday urges — such as snowball fights and building snow forts — would be easy to indulge in without any additional spending. However, snow here comes only once every few years and sometimes not even that. I wish singing “Let It Snow” would make it happen, because if it actually worked, you’d hear me caroling all holiday long.
