From our families to yours, happy holidaysDate: 12/21/2020 What are you looking forward to this holiday season?
This year has been a year like no other. I cannot express how many times I’ve heard people say, “I can’t wait until this year is over,” or “2020 was the worst,” along with a hopeful, “Here’s to hoping for a better 2021.”
While there is so much going on in the world today, as I wrote in a recent column, it’s also important to take a step back and look for the good.
We still do have one week left of 2020, consisting of the holiday season. Though this year most families are altering their celebrations, we on the Reminder Publishing news team took the opportunity to reach out to members of our Reminder family who work behind the scenes to get our newspapers to readers each week to discuss what they’re looking forward to this holiday season.
Here is what we posed to our Reminder team: “This year has been a doozy – what are you looking forward to this holiday season? Is there a special cookie recipe that you look forward to making, a Zoom call with all of your family members scheduled, a holiday movie you can’t wait to watch while relaxing by a fire? Is there a new tradition that you’re going to be starting this year now that many of us are having smaller celebrations, or perhaps an old tradition that you’re going to continue? Share with us what you’re looking forward to this holiday season.”
We welcome you, Reminder readers, to peek into our homes for a look at how we’ll be celebrating this year, and what we’re looking forward to this holiday season. We wish you and yours the best holiday – however you plan on celebrating.
Susan Bartlett –
Graphics Department
“This year I am doing my holiday shopping differently. I am shopping exclusively at local businesses. I will not go to any big box stores, chain stores or purchase anything that is made in China. As convenient as online ordering is, and as tempting as the advertising suggestions that appear in my Facebook feed are, I am intent on supporting the small local businesses that are struggling to survive. As one of the artists who designs the ads in this paper, I am fortunate to see what many local businesses are offering and get lots of ideas!”
Marie Brazee –
Office Manager, West
“Since the passing of our beloved Auntie Mary this year, this will be the first Christmas without anyone from my parents’ generation to celebrate with. Thankfully, all the cousins still stay in touch, and we will, hopefully, be able to get together some time soon to honor our aunt and enjoy each other’s company and good cooking!”
Paula Dimauro –
Account Manager
“I am looking forward to holiday music, lights, movies and baking holiday recipes!”
Mike Dobbs –
Managing Editor
“My mom used to make what she called ‘fruit salad’ every Christmas. It was simply whipped cream flavored with sugar and vanilla mixed with fruit. I know it sounds too simple to be a tradition, but this is something my mom learned from her mother and I wouldn’t be surprised if my grandmother learned it from her mother. It might go back another generation. We enjoyed once a year, maybe twice as sometimes she made it for Thanksgiving. It’s just a nice connection to past generations in our family.”
Danielle Eaton –
Staff Writer
“This year, since we had time off and wanted to reduce spending and waste, my family decided to do a homemade Christmas. We’re all making gifts rather than purchasing them from the store to make it more thoughtful and meaningful!”
Ryan Feyre –
Staff Writer
“Normally, my favorite holiday tradition usually involved going to the movies on or around Christmas day with family and friends. It was always something I looked forward too, especially since Oscar season would be in full force. Since that won’t be happening this year, I’m most excited for having a low key Christmas celebration with my immediate family. It’s been a tough year, so lounging at home is all I could really ask for.”
Sarah Heinonen –
Staff Writer
“My boyfriend’s family began a new tradition this Thanksgiving, which we’re planning to continue
at Christmas. We played bingo over Zoom through www.bingomaker.com. There were lots of laughs and though we couldn’t all be together, it was nice to play a game with the whole family.”
Donna Holden –
Office Manager, East
“This year since we are spending so much time at home and celebrations have come to a halt I have been watching a lot of Christmas movies. This has given me some new ideas to try and make the season merry. We are starting a new tradition of having a gingerbread building contest and we will be roasting chestnuts for the first time. I’m trying to make this season as festive as I can for my family in such a time of change.”
Nancy Holloway –
Account Manager
“Started a new tradition this Thanksgiving with ‘Dinner in the Driveway!’ Put up a carport and set three six-foot tables up with patio heaters in between them so the seven folks we had for dinner were all appropriately distanced and warm. Buffet was in the garage and everyone was given gloves and masks as they moved in and out of the garage. It was quite nice, and chafing dishes kept the food warm. I’d do it again in a heartbeat!
“Christmas will be a little different - planning on doing Christmas Eve deliveries of gifts and what would have been brunch at our house on Christmas morning to all our kids. Weather permitting, we will set up hot chocolate on Christmas Day in the garage and allow one to two visitors at a time if they want to come and visit for a little while keeping our distance. Just rolling with it as best we can!”
Nate Halla –
Circulation Manager, West
“This Christmas, more than others, will be extra special for me. This crazy year of 2020 has made me realize life is too short. I look forward to my annual watching of National Lampoon’s ‘Christmas Vacation’ with my dad, as well as all his old stories from the past. It’s like hopping in a time machine and learning about a time before my own. I look forward to my mom’s peanut butter cookies, which she still hasn’t given me the recipe for. But most of all, I look forward to Christmas morning with my own family and watching my son and step kids open their gifts. I know I won’t take it for granted this year.”
Chris Maza –
Asst. Managing Editor, West
“We don’t really have any out of the ordinary holiday traditions. I would say probably the one thing that I do personally every year is I find some time when no one else is in the house, open up a beer and wrap presents while watching ‘Die Hard.’ It’s been more difficult this year to find the time when I’m alone in the house.”
Lisa Nolan –
Account Manager
“There is nothing like the Italian tradition of that amazing seafood dinner on Christmas Eve. As a kid, I can honestly say I didn’t appreciate it the way I do today! In the past, walking into my parents house and smelling the wonderful aroma of seafood just made it feel like Christmas. My mother, Maria Meccia, is a fantastic cook! She cooks up a Feast of the Seven Fishes – well let me just say it’s usually more than seven fishes – that is absolutely amazing. She definitely over does it, but she enjoys every minute of it! Even though things will be a little different this year, my Mom will continue her tradition and I will be outside waiting for “curbside pick-up!” Buon Natale a tutti!
Payton North –
Asst. Managing Editor, East
“One of my favorite aspects to the season begins with the kick off of purchasing our Christmas tree. My parents were especially patient with me this year as I walked back and forth across Pell Farm’s field of trees, as this will be my last holiday at home. My dad said more than once, ‘I want to make sure this is special for you,’ which was greatly appreciated. Another tradition that I enjoy is hanging up the stunning advent calendar that my mom made when I was young – it’s hand-sewn, and looks like a Christmas tree. On the tree, there are 25 round patches of velcro, and every day I enthusiastically pull out a hand-sewn, uniquely decorated fabric square that each has a different design – a bell, an ornament, an ice skate, a snowflake, etc. This advent calendar means so much to me, not only because I enjoy the process of counting down every year, but also because my mom made it. I told her that after the holidays this year she and I need to make a replica for me so I can have one of my own when I move out!”
Liz O’Donoghue –
Graphics Department
“I have a list of old and new traditions: New: Stay home with my hubby and cat, host a Secret Santa swap with siblings, nieces and nephews – money will be given to their favorite charity, and Zoom with family on Christmas Day.
Old: watch ‘Elf’ and celebrate with nog!”
Victoria Owen –
Account Manager
“What a year! I’m looking forward to spending time with my extended family on Christmas Day ... it won’t be in their comfortable living room, it’ll be via Facetime! And I’ll miss out on their yummy baked goods, but at least we will be able to see each other while we open our presents. Sending Christmas cards allows me to connect with those I haven’t seen over the past year, and I’ll need to make tomato soup cake, or it won’t be Christmas! Listening to the familiar Christmas hymns and finding lights illuminating the neighborhoods wrap up my Christmas memories.”
Lorie Perry –
Graphics Department
“We usually start with Christmas Eve and going to visit my mother-in-law (who is 93 this year, and still going strong!). Every Christmas Eve we bring the Chinese food for dinner, She loves her lo mein and pork egg foo young. We exchange gifts and then have some of her homemade pecan pie. On Christmas we head off to my brother’s house, everyone brings a little something to contribute to the family meal. We exchange presents, have some dessert and then enjoy a family friendly dice game of Farkle. Things will be a little different this year, but we will make the best of it.”
Andy Shaw –
Account Manager
“In March we rescued a puppy as COVID was cranking up. She jumps like a mountain goat so we named her Billie. And being a puppy, she’s been naughty lately. Billie snagged the Elf on the Shelf that we have kept around to remind us of the tradition we had when our boys were little to encourage good behavior. But Billie has taken Elf to her puppy lair and ripped off his hat and scarf and scattered elf stuffing, so we may need to establish some new traditions for her first Christmas with us.
“We won’t be getting together with my family this Christmas, so my three sisters and I are doing a Christmas Eve ‘Wine O’Clock’ Zoom – my sisters’ term, not mine, but I like it – timed at 5 p.m. so my sister Cilla and her family in Dublin, Ireland can all participate. Every Christmas Eve we go out to one of our favorite Chinese restaurants but this year it looks like this year it’ll be curbside pickup.”
Hope Tremblay –
Westfield News Editor
“This year, my family created what we hope will become a new tradition – the Secret Cookie Patrol! Early on in the pandemic, my kids were really feeling the strains of remote learning. They still are, but when school buildings closed in March it was supposed to be for two weeks. Then two more weeks, and so on. So, to spread some smiles and find something fun to do while the world shut down, we baked cookies. My children wanted to share with family and friends, so we began delivering them “ding-dong ditch” style, meaning we would leave them at the recipient’s house, ring their doorbell or text them to check their doorstep, and make a run for it. We had a blast and people appreciated the surprise. Now that Christmas is here and COVID is on the rise again, we have begun the Secret Cookie Patrol once again, spreading holiday cheer to family and friends as well as some of our hard-working officials.”
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