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Date: 12/21/2020
What do the holidays mean to you?
When I was younger, the holidays meant going to my grandparents house on Christmas Eve. I loved going to their home, opening gifts, and enjoying my grandma’s – Queen Noreen – delicious food. I remember being so tiny and standing next to mountains of presents surrounding her Christmas tree. Around six years old, I distinctly remember her bringing out an enormous cookie sheet filled with creme brulee bowls as she used the miniature flame thrower to caramelize the sugar topping. I had never seen such a special dessert.
Christmas Day meant waking up at 6 a.m. – bright and early – and eating birthday cake for breakfast – a special treat to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. It was waking up my brother to grab our stockings, which we subsequently would bring up to our parents bedrooms to open in front of them while we waited for them to get out of bed so we could open the rest of our gifts together.
Christmas also meant coming together with the North side of the family later on Christmas Day, and playing in the snow with all of my cousins. I remember one year when I was about five years old, we had a terrible snow storm on Christmas Day. My dad has a large barn that he was able to fit all of our family members' cars in, and while the adults stayed warm inside by the fire, my cousins Nick, Tyler and I played outside in the snow and made a giant snowball. Well – giant for a 5, 6 and 7 year old. It was magical.
Christmas was frolicking across a Christmas tree farm with my mom, grandpa John, and brother in tow – searching for the perfect tree to bring into our home. A few years back, my grandparents stopped getting a real tree, and this year they purchased a fake one, so my dad started joining us. Getting a real, live Christmas tree and cutting it down ourselves is one of my favorite holiday traditions.
As I grew older, I started to understand everything that goes into making the holiday special. Cooking, cleaning, buying copious amounts of gifts. I also very quickly realized that Christmas wasn’t about the gifts – it was about the people that we spend the holiday with.
I understand that not everyone is lucky enough to be surrounded by a large family that they absolutely adore. I still have four living grandparents, my parents have been married for 32 years, I have copious aunts and uncles and seven cousins who I used to see on a monthly basis for “cousins nights” prior to the pandemic.
This year, Christmas is going to be hard for so many. As I said – Christmas isn’t about the gifts, the food – it’s about the family. The people. And in a year where so many lives were lost, and we are not supposed to be gathering...this year will be difficult.
And yet, there’s still so much to look forward to.
Perhaps you’re having a family Zoom chat. No, of course it won’t be the same, but you’ll still get to see everyone’s faces. A coworker of mine, Sarah Heinonen, explained that her family played virtual Bingo on Thanksgiving a few weeks ago, which was a hoot. Sounds like a great way to safely have fun!
Maybe you’re having an intimate dinner with all of the delicious, traditional foods you would normally eat. Less people and more food? Sounds like great leftovers to me!
Perhaps you’re planning on spending the day alone with some yummy takeout, holiday movies on Netflix and a cozy blanket. Sounds like a relaxing day that you deserve.
I don’t have to say it again – but I suppose I will – this year has been one for the books, and for most, not in a positive way.
Next year promises improvements. I’m looking forward to being able to hug all of my loved ones again, and for a year better than the last.
I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday, however you plan on spending it.