This January, Edison High students experienced their first snow day in over two years.

Ever since they started school, children of all ages could not wait for the wintertime for the chance of a long-awaited surprise to stay home and watch the snowfall outside. Although many associate snow days as a way to simply take a break from school and relax, snow days are a nostalgic part of a Jersey kid’s childhood. While the snow days give students days off, they also give them memories of their childhood experiences.

With the mounting pressures of school on students, snow days are an escape from reality. From chasing their dog around in the snow to sipping their grandma’s hot chocolate, they were able to stay home and cuddle up on their couches as the snow fell outside.
Students enjoyed getting a day off from school and felt emotional about spending time with their families.
“I attempted to make a snowman with my mom the other day and it brought up memories of when I used to build ones with my sister,” said Siya Bhuteja ‘26.
Students of all grades agreed that these snow days were a much-needed respite from the stresses of schoolwork and deadlines.
“As a senior, my days have gotten really long, and I feel like we’ve all had to grow up too fast. I haven’t felt like a kid in a while, and I just took the snow day to catch up on some sleep and movies,” said Rajas Tewari ‘24.
For many students, even the light layer of snow on the sidewalks painted a picturesque landscape that brought them back to their childhood winters. Most people connect snow with moments like a “white Christmas,” yet the nostalgia of this frozen precipitation was seen in the joys of students’ faces when they received the phone call early in the morning. A snow day meant a day to play and press their faces up against the cold window with joy.
“I remember being so happy and excited when my parents got the automated voice call from the school at 8:00 in the morning when I was younger,” said Naisha Sonawala ‘26.
After years of not having experienced a snow day, students reflected on the disconnection between their childhood and teenage years.
“I felt as if I had stepped back into my childhood self after so long,” said Hrishi Shah ‘26, “I’m so glad I got to feel like a kid again.”
Students conveyed their great joy for their snow day off as they were able to spend some much-needed time with family as well.
“Seeing the snow made me smile and nostalgic because I remember the laughter in the snow with my childhood best friend and how fun it was,” said Vivien Lee ‘25.
During their extra days at home, students all around felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia and experienced memory-filled moments during their extra days off, from playing in the snow to catching snowflakes on their tongues. There was one thing that everyone agreed on: they felt like a kid again.
“I think with school we tend to forget that we’re still just kids,” said Ainie Syed ‘26. “Having the snow day right before my birthday on Saturday really reminded me of memories I have playing with my brother in the snow.”