The sight of an evergreen tree, the lights all surrounding it, the fireplace giving its warmth, the smell of pine, the construction of a gingerbread house, the green and red presents under a tree, the drizzle of snow, the exhale of breath forming a cloud, the sound of the bells, and the sound of the holiday music playing. These things pull you into the holiday spirit and give people the feeling of the holidays. All of these things are just sights and sounds, but how does it get you into the holiday season?

Sight may be one of the strongest senses of them all and it is a huge reason why people get into the festive spirit. An evergreen tree and the lights wrapped around might be one of the most recognizable things when it comes to Christmas due to the familiarity of it. Most households have a tree, whether it’s real or not, and it sparks a sense of nostalgia. Nostalgia happens when someone is accessing personally meaningful events normally shared with people close to them. The nostalgia can lead to a “bittersweet” feeling and it can also be a “happy trip down memory lane”.

There are links to the sight of snow and lights and stories people hear relating to Christmas. Take Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer, for example, the story is about a reindeer that had to take charge of Santa’s sleigh to make it through a horrible blizzard. The thought of the snow helps us build a connection to the time of year. The connection between the children’s story makes everyone think of the Christmas time of year and this also works with presents, elves, sleighs, and more.

Sounds of Christmas time can change the mood for everyone in seconds. The Christmas jingles spread around every year and bring everyone together. Upbeat music produces dopamine and serotonin which ends up relaxing the body and puts people in a good mood. Also, people build strong connections with songs and times of their life whether the song brings them back to a moment they heard that song before or a moment they dealt with in their life. The music theory in these songs also provides sensory stimulation to provoke a positive response. Also, any type of music lowers people’s blood pressure. All of these things can help calm people down and bring them into the relaxing and cheerful mood of the holiday season.

Both the sights and sounds combined can create a sense of joy that bring people into the holiday season. A lot of these things have to do with tradition but the tradition lives well with people every year to celebrate this time of giving.