Bust out your chestnuts to roast on open fires because Christmas is officially upon us. With Halloween out of the way, it is Christmas’ time to shine.

To break down the schedule of Christmas to Thanksgiving, Nov. 1 to the week of Thanksgiving is Christmas. However, during Thanksgiving week, it is strictly turkey and mashed potatoes, sans Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” However, the jingle bells and silent nights are brought out again on Black Friday through the first week of January.

With it officially being the holiday season, here is a list of what Christmas festivities have already begun for this season.

Nov. 1 brought back the highly anticipated and much loved Chick-fil-A peppermint milkshake. This beloved milkshake is available from now until the beginning of January. Elena Walz ’22 and I went to Chick-fil-A this weekend to grab our first shake of the season. Elena commented on her milkshake: “While I hold fast to Thanksgiving season, I can’t deny that the peppermint milkshake was fantastic. I will definitely be getting a few more before the end of the season.”

As you have probably noticed on your daily Starbucks runs, the Starbucks cups have officially changed to Christmas. In addition, Starbucks has brought back their holiday drinks including the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, the Toasted White Mocha, Irish Cream Cold Brew, and the brand new Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte.

Christmas music is also in full swing, with many Christmas albums already out or coming out in the next few weeks. Some new Christmas albums this year include Darren Criss’ “A Very Darren Crissmas,” Kelly Clarkson’s “When Christmas Comes Around…,” Kristin Chenoweth’s “Happiness Is…Christmas!,” and Pentatonix’s “Evergreen.” Katie Thomas ’22 commented on Darren Criss’ new album: “‘A Very Darren Crissmas’ is an absolutely spectacular Christmas album. It’s witty, unexpected, and absolutely stunning. Not only is Darren a fantastic singer, but he also included tons of new and different Christmas songs that I will be obsessing over for many years to come.”

We are still waiting to hear when KOST 103.5 will make their official switch to Christmas music. Last year, KOST switched on Nov. 5, and in 2019, they switched on Nov. 8. Both of those days were on Fridays. My prediction is that KOST will bust out their Christmas tunes this Friday, Nov. 12.

Many companies such as Sephora and Ulta have begun selling their Christmas value sets. These are a particular favorite of mine as they include many products for a lower price (and they are also decorated in Christmas packaging which doesn’t hurt). Many value sets with makeup and skincare are already on sale for this season, which make great gifts and stocking stuffers.

Luckily, we have a whole two months to savor peppermint milkshakes, sugar cookie lattes, and KOST 103.5 Christmas music before they go away for another year. Be sure to grab your Christmas drinks and foods while blasting Michael Bublé to get in the holiday spirit this year.