This story was originally published in the second edition of The Lion’s Tale (December 13th, 2021).

Traveling over the holidays is worth it:

Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends. Some people choose to travel during the holidays while others rather stay at home. But the big question is why should you travel during the holidays? Some students have families that live out of state, for other students it’s a tradition to spend Christmas out of the state. Others have a specific destination they have been dreaming about going to and just want to get away even if they have no one to visit. There are many other reasons as to why people choose to travel for Christmas.

Many know about black Friday, which happens right after Thanksgiving. Black Friday is the time when everything goes on sale – and that includes discounts for travel destinations. These discounts come with amazing package deals for hot travel destinations.

Some people like to travel to strengthen familial bonds. Some others like to travel to increase faith and to learn about history. Traveling during Christmas is a great way to learn about how traditions started in different countries.

And while airports are a lot busier during the holidays, there are other transportation routes available as well.

“Most of my family lives out- of-state, so I would want to travel for Christmas to be with them over the holidays. It’s also a bit harder to get into the Christmas spirit in Florida—a little bit of snow and a white Christmas is definitely something to see,” said sophomore Jane Hicken.

Traveling over the holidays is not worth it:

Traveling for the holidays is something very controversial. Although some people decide to be away from home, traveling is not suitable for everyone. By not traveling, families or individuals will benefit in ways such as saving money.

An estimated total of $1,800 for a holiday getaway was spent per traveling family in 2020 alone. This does not include money spent on specific items needed to travel, like winter coats or ski boots.

This amount of money could be saved if one stays in their cozy home. Airports and roads tend to be super chaotic and crowded as holidays like Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s approach. Over 85 million people per year fly to a destination for Christmas. Traveling could seem fun at the time, but what if a flight gets delayed 0r canceled due to inclement weather? This could cause the holidays to be stressful or heartbreaking for some who are un- able to reach their destination.

In addition, about 105 million people drive to their vacation spots. Getting stuck in hours of traffic or being backed by accidents or road closures are not fun. It has been said that 80 percent more Americans are traveling this year than any other year, so it may be best to stay home to avoid some of the crowds..

It seems that the cons of traveling outweigh the benefits. So think about these questions before making the choice to leave home: Is traveling during the holidays really necessary? Is it something that is really worth it?