It seems that right about now, the holiday season is really starting to jump into its climactic stage. Now we have the holiday music playing on the radio, and just about every major grocery store, as well as schools, workplaces, churches and homes are decked out in traditional holiday decorations.

This is right around the time of year when everyone just seems a tad bit cheerier then usual; and that's definitely not a bad thing.

I truly think the holiday season will be as joyful or as memorable as you make it. It's not up to the people around you, or the gifts and Christmas cards, or the annual Christmas bonus that is responsible for the feelings you take away from the holiday season.

It's what you make of it.

So many things run on the integrity of the holiday season. For instance, even marketers use the holidays to the best they can to get consumers into Christmas ecstasy.

Just think of that unforgettable holiday Coca-Cola commercial a few years back that shows a mob of penguins jamming out to Christmas tune "Little St. Nick". A small polar bear then slides down the snow covered mountain and slides right into the penguins. The music then abruptly stops; then a small penguin emerges from the crowd and presents the polar bear with a bottle of Coca-Cola.

Despite the Coca-Cola company's geographic error (seeing how polar bears and penguins live in two completely opposite regions of the globe), it's simply the feeling of the commercial that you were supposed to take away from it.

So this holiday season, don't go looking for holiday happiness in things that can't provide it for you.

You just have to look in all of the right places.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. Michael Majchrowicz is a sophomore at Lake Central High School.