Around the holidays, most people try and get into the holiday spirit by putting up decorations, listening to fitting music, or going out and doing holiday activities with their family and friends. For some, these activities may include going to see the holiday lights at parks, going ice skating, or even skiing. Everyone has their own activities that they usually do around the holidays, but sometimes people forget to try and do some good deeds around the holidays.

After a survey was conducted of 35 students, around 83% said that they regularly participated in good deeds around the holidays. About 17% said that they did not.

The holiday season is usually when people are most charitable. Lots of families go out and make good deeds an activity for the whole family so that everyone has the opportunity to fully give back to others and the whole family can spend more time together. “I have done a food drive with my grandparents and I’ve also gone to other people’s houses at our church and sang songs,” Jackson Mathison (‘21) said. 

A lot of families usually donate food to those who may struggle around the holidays and donating is a very popular choice. “We volunteered to pack Thanksgiving meals for families who needed them and then we drove and delivered a few,” Mikaela Hammond (‘20) said.

Although sometimes people may not always get the chance to go out and do good deeds around the holidays, there are many great opportunities that people can do. “You can always give to the Salvation Army, volunteer at a food bank, donate food to local charities, shovel the sidewalks so people can walk through, or pay it forward,” Karson Miller (‘21) said. 

Doing good deeds do not always have to involve donating something to those that are less fortunate. Good deeds can simply just be doing something small that could make someone’s day a little bit better. “It was early in the day where it had snowed and frozen over that night. My father and I went to my mom’s work where they work overnight. The two of us cleared the snow and ice off of about 30 cars before we left,” Dylan Soberg (‘20) said. 

Good deeds also do not have to be done on your own because sometimes it can be hard to find the right opportunity. There are plenty of great organizations that you can participate in to try and give back. “Every year, I participate in Operation Christmas Child with my youth group.” Elijah Angleton (‘23) said.

The holidays are always the perfect time to get out there and try and spread some kindness around, which usually gets everyone into the holiday spirit. Doing good deeds not also makes others happy, but can also help boost your own mood as well. It is the perfect way to put yourself and others into the holiday spirit.