Sleigh bells are ringing and Shannon Dunn’s Christmas obsession is in full force. She has been counting down the days until December 25th since the beginning of the school year. Dunn’s countdown “gets everyone very excited and in the spirit” said senior Brooke Bartoloni.

    Since seventh grade, Dunn has been broadcasting her Christmas countdown at home, in the halls and throughout Facebook. Dunn admits to always being obsessed with Christmas. Sophomore Halle Rhodes said as Christmas looms nearer  “she’s always bouncing off the walls with excitement”

    In preparation for the holiday, Dunn and her family organize a “Secret Santa” between her and her six siblings. Unfortunately Dunn said “they don’t usually work” considering someone always finds out who their “Secret Santa” is.

    For Christmas Eve, Dunn spends the day preparing their house for festivities with her family. She loves to decorate everything from her agenda to her locker to her Christmas tree. At night, she goes to church, then has a Christmas dinner with her grandparents and sometimes her cousins.

    Among Dunn’s favorite movies are A Year Without Christmas, Love Actually and A Christmas Story. She loves Christmas music so much that she can’t even decide which song is her favorite.

    Finally, on Christmas day, very early in the morning, Dunn’s younger brother wakes up first, followed by the rest of her family. They open presents together and have a big family breakfast to celebrate. After that, the Dunn family spends the rest of their day with their extended family.

    But Dunn’s love for Christmas is not rooted in gift receiving. For Dunn, the holiday is supposed to be about being jolly. “It’s a good holiday. It’s a happy holiday. Most of the time we hear bad news in the news but it’s a time to be happy”said Dunn. She looks forward to finding an opportunity to volunteer somewhere and give back to her community which she thinks is an important part of the holiday season. Dunn sees Christmas as a time for everyone to appreciate what they have, making December 25th her favorite day of the year.