Mother nature is a force to be reckoned with. It’s one of the few things in life that no human has been able to harness, change, or manipulate. It’s harsh, beautiful, and unpredictable, especially in the Sunshine State which we all call home. In fact, it’s so hot all year round, many people forget there’s multiple seasons. With a lack of winter we, and a few other states, also don’t have tall trees due to the trees not having a steady cycle resulting in them not growing as tall as they should in other places. As sophomore Meadow Paige beautifully put it, “there is mild summer, summer, more summer, and on occasion less summer.” Despite the occasional cold front, Florida tends to stay in the 70-80 degree temperature during what most places would call their winter months. It does beg the question of if these fun circumstances count Floridians in the popular group of having ‘winter months’. However, Florida experiences this hot weather due to its proximity to the equator and being surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, both warm bodies of water. It has been recorded that since 1999, there have been 30 separate sightings of snow, all of which have terms such as the following: a dusting of snow, light flurries, or simple cold fronts. So, without much of the weather component of winter, can Floridians justify enjoying such traditions?

As senior Brianna DeStoppelaire says, “Winter spirit is subjective because we have the feeling but not the environment.” A future philosopher, really. So, what is the winter spirit? Looking at Google pictures of basic Hallmark movies paints the picture of perfection- a little snowy back town with two people having a magical journey to love and take new chances. The spirit of feeling something is almost the same as traditions and customs, which are individual and unique to each and every family, which are typically formed from personal bias, experiences, and ancestral hand me downs. So even if the temperatures may not encourage ice skating and hot chocolate, Floridians can still get into the winter spirit. It’s less about “dashing through the snow” and more “blasting the air conditioning because I’m gonna melt faster than a snowman.” So, to each their own, but as a general consensus is that while Florida may not have the picture-perfect winter wonderland from the movies, nor the snow, nor the changing leaves, it’s still a great season. The season of winter has numerous definitions, and people celebrate it in many different ways. So happy hot winter season to all and remember to crank the A/C to enjoy a (somewhat) wintery holiday season!