Most beloved season of the year!

By: Khyati Singhvi

I absolutely love the winter season. Winter Vacations are mostly for fifteen days, and two of the festivals I love the  most, i.e. Christmas and New Year, fall during this time. So there is a flavour of  festivities all around. My sister and I look forward to Christmas as our parents  bring gifts for us, and the whole house is illuminated with lights. We also shop for  many small bells, stars, reindeer and candies to decorate the Christmas tree.

I purchase a gift for my sister. We love the delicious cake our mother prepares for  us on Christmas. The celebration is completed with a family dinner. There is a  festive vibe all around. New Year celebrations are all the more special. This is  because we are either invited to some friend’s or relatives’ place, or we host a  party. It is time to meet our family, friends and cousins. I enjoy the good food and  good company on this day.

Every year, we also plan a family trip to a hill station during winter vacations. If we are lucky  enough, we witness snowfall on such trips. It is usually a short trip of two-three  days. Most of the time, we book the tickets almost a month in advance. We are all  excited about the trip and start packing our stuff days before the same.

My father plans everything to ensure a smooth trip ensuring that the hotel booking is done, the  sightseeing list is prepared, and the budget for everything is set. We mostly travel  by train, and it is fun. Last year, we travelled to Shimla during the winter vacation.  It was a three-day trip.

Mall road was the main attraction during this trip. It was covered with snow, and  we just loved walking on it. Our hotel was near mall road, and we spent our  mornings and evenings on the road. We enjoyed the weather, played with the  snow and had piping hot momos as we sat on the benches on the mall road.

There was a Tibetan market nearby. nearbyher and I went shopping at the market.  I just loved the variety of winter clothing items available there. I bought jackets  and sweatshirts. I also bought a pair of boots and some accessories. My mother  bought a shawl for herself and a lot of other stuff for the entire family. We also  went for site seeing to other places. The best part of the trip was the snowfall we  witnessed on our last day. It added to the overall experience and made the trip  completely worth it.