Chief Editor's Note: 'Tis the Season

Dear Reader,

Finally, the time has come to celebrate the end of the year. I can’t believe how quickly this semester (and this whole year really) has gone by. It feels as if the academic year just started a few weeks ago, and now it’s already time to finish up assignments and get ready for the holidays. As the year comes to an end, we are back with one final BTSB issue for this year, and this time we have written pieces inspired by winter, the holiday season, and the end of the year.

I love Christmas. For me, it’s the best time of the year. When I was little, Christmas meant a whole two-week holiday from school, listening to Christmas carols all day, eating Christmas food and chocolates, and just spending time with my family. Every Christmas, on Christmas Eve, we would go and visit my grandma and spend the day at her house. We would take my granny with us, and sometimes my great-grandma would join us as well. After Christmas, we would cocoon up with my family and spend the entire week together playing board games and eating Christmas leftovers. For some, this scenario might sound horribly boring, or a sure way to start some family drama (I mean, like in almost every Christmas movie ever), but for me, it has always been the most peaceful time of the year, an escape from the mundane. Even to this day, when my Christmas holiday usually only lasts for a couple of days instead of weeks (I am working part-time in retail), I always spend it with my family. So is the plan for this year, too, and I am really looking forward to it.

In this special holiday issue, we have a couple of poems, a short story, and a think piece for you. For starters, we bring you two poems: Valo has written one about winter and Oliver about returning back home for the holidays. The theme of returning home continues in Robi’s reflective think piece as well, where he shares thoughts on his exchange semester in Ireland, which now has come to an end. In addition, we have a fascinating, character-driven short story by Robi.

However you are spending the end of this year, whether with family or friends or by yourself, I wish you peaceful and very joyous days and a very happy new year. Now, you can take a cozy blanket to wrap yourself in (and perhaps a warming cup of tea), and click on to start reading…

Happy Holidays!