3. Do you think that winter is the best time for a holiday?

Most people believe that winter is a season of severe frosty weather, when everybody has to stay at home and try to keep warm. They think it is a time of snowstorms, ice, frozen rivers and ponds, and of slippery streets. It’s freezing and everybody is chilled to the bone. Hours of daylight are really short, and it gets dark early.

But you should not forget the beauty of winter nature. Snow lies everywhere: on the roofs of buildings, on benches, on paths and roads and it shines in the sunlight like a thousand jewels. The frosty air is invigorating, and snowfall is magical, with white fluffy snowflakes whirling in the air and coming down thick. Trees proudly stand dressed in snow-white outfits. Nature sleeps hiding under the snow blanket in anticipation of spring.

To my mind, winter is the best time for a holiday. And there are some reasons why I think so. Firstly, winter holiday comes just after the second term. Thus, it helps in providing much-needed relief to students after a month of painstaking hard work. Students typically wait for the winter holidays, as it indulges them in a lot of fun activities during the break.

Yes, of course, it is very cold outside, because cold weather has set in, but winter holiday makes anything jolly and glorious. First comes the hustle and bustle of New Year`s Eve and Christmas. People go shopping and buy presents, decorate houses and Christmas trees, and hang garlands. In almost every city, the streets are lit up with sparkling lights, and there are Christmas trees in the main squares, where people dance around them. There are many beautiful exhibitions of Christmas decorations and concerts of Christmas music, which you can visit every day. After that come the holidays themselves, which all people look forward to: Christmas, New Year`s Eve, Hanukkah, and others. We sing songs, enjoy the holiday feast, give and get presents, watch fireworks, pull crackers, and have real fun.

Moreover, there are quite a number of outdoor winter activities. Some people are fond of shooting, hunting and hockey. If there is enough snow, one can go skating, skiing, and tobogganing, or you can just built a snowman. But even if there isn’t, it’s not a problem nowadays to go to the skating-rink, to rent skates and enjoy yourself on a frosty sunny day. Some people prefer to be out of town in order to sledge or to ski in the woods. Those who are brave enough go in for extreme kinds of sports such as ski-jumping for example.

To me, winter has its own interest and beauty. If you do not like being outside when weather is so contrary you can do other things and don’t feel bored to death because there are interesting books, theatres and concerts, and the cinema. Besides active sports, it is really wonderful to have a quiet walk in the park or in the forest — the atmosphere is so romantic and touching. And it’s a great excuse to not leave the house and cosy up in fluffy jumpers drinking your hot chocolate and watching great films. Your holiday probably won`t be boring or dull, as there are so many good things in winter.