Everyone can admit 2020 is a year like no other. With the murder hornets, Australian and West Coast wildfires, deaths of Kobe Bryant, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Chadwick Boseman, and Eddie Van Halen, and of course the unforgettable Coronavirus pandemic. We could all use a little holiday cheer. But, how are people's holiday plans going to look this year? Due to COVID-19, the CDC recommends having smaller gatherings, limiting travel, and wearing a mask. I asked a few students what their Thanksgiving is going to look like this year, and here’s what they all said.
Roan Gonzales, a junior at Clayton Valley Charter High School in Concord, California, will be having a Thanksgiving different than usual. This year, she will still be able to be with her family to make their own food, but she will not be able to see her extended family “for the first time in 5 years.”
Zack Durst, a junior at The Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, Texas, will also have his holiday plans affected by the virus. He tells us, “I usually spend Thanksgiving either going to Utah where my aunt lives or spending it with my grandma in Concord...I have a big family a lot of my relatives are hesitant to come visit us”
Layla Hernandez, a sophomore at Clayton Valley Charter High School, will also have different plans this year. She will still have dinner with her family and cousins but in a much smaller group. She tells us, “We didn’t go to our other cousin’s houses because there would be more people there and little to no safety precautions for COVID-19.”
For my family, this was one of the most devastating years for the virus to affect our Thanksgiving plans. My dad was adopted, and in mid-October, we found his biological family! We got to meet my aunt, two uncles, eight cousins, and grandma all over Zoom. We all connected so well, it was like we had known each other for our whole lives. We all wished we could immediately go visit each other, but we knew that was unlikely given the circumstances.
Although Coronavirus is still affecting all of our lives, it's important to remember to make the most out of your holidays (safely of course). Although I couldn’t meet my extended family in real life, I still was able to call them all over Zoom on Thanksgiving and we had an amazing time.
During these times, it is hard to stay positive, especially with the Contra Costa County’s new December lockdown. It is easy to decide to feel sorry for yourself and wish things were different. Instead, make the most out of your days. Facetime your friends and family, decorate your house, bake something new, watch movies with family, or make holiday cards and send them to your friends and family. Even just saying to someone, “Happy Holidays!” can lift everyone's spirits.
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