A pandemic change to holiday plans
Turkey for two, a drive-thru Nativity scene and reduced holiday drama
King’s Grant Presbyterian’s annual “Bethlehem Walk” for Christmas will be a drive-thru affair this year.
Fran Anderson of Virginia Beach would’ve had her New Year’s Eve plans cemented by now. But she hasn’t heard of any clubs or venues hosting any parties. However, she’s made reservations to stay at The Westin at Town Center just in case something cool pops up.
One North Carolina woman said that she and her husband are in the high-risk age group and are canceling plans to see their children, grandkids and extended family this season. The only upshot of a COVID-colored season is that she won’t have to spend time with her son-in-law, whom she doesn’t like.
The end-of-year holiday stretch will look and feel grinchy as people nix parties and traveling in hopes of not spreading COVID-19 with their holiday cheer.
Based on mid-October forecasts, AAA expects about 50 million people to travel this Thanksgiving weekend alone, a 10% decline from last year and the biggest drop since the early recession days of 2008. Virginia is expected to see a dip of nearly 8%. That forecast was released before Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced tighter restrictions on Nov. 13, lowering max attendance at indoor and outdoor gatherings from 250 to 25 people.
We asked readers to share how their plans have changed because of the pandemic. Here’s what a few had to say:
Janet Keller, Newport News
Our local four-generation, blended family always has a big family Thanksgiving dinner at one of our daughter’s homes and
Christmas dinner at our home, with each family contributing to the meal. This year we will divide into three “bubble” households. Each of us will prepare our “usual” contributions — my sausage stuffing, our son-in-law’s smoked turkey, our granddaughter’s mashed potatoes, my husband’s ex-wife’s squash casserole (I told you we are a blended family), etc. Each will make enough for all, plus leftovers. My husband and I will pick up and drop off foods at each
household, so we may all enjoy our much-anticipated Thanksgiving dinner without having to cook a complete meal for each household. If we decide to do the same for Christmas, I will start things off with my stuffed crown roast of pork.
Norma Bolling, Chesapeake
When my grandmother Claddie Green was alive, she always cooked Thanksgiving dinner for her eight children, the oldest being born in 1928. She would have everyone at her home in Norfolk. When she passed in 1989, her youngest daughter, Patricia Green Wyche, took over the tradition in Chesapeake. Sometimes 50 or more relatives were in attendance. “Coming Home” was the theme of the day. We were thankful for all who had gathered and we remembered those who were no longer with us. This year, due to the ages and health issues of some of my family members, our dinner was canceled. It was hard for us all, but we know that it was necessary.
Julie Seipel, Virginia Beach
The pandemic will not stop what would have been the 15th year of the “Bethlehem Walk” for the Little Neck community of Virginia Beach. In years past, visitors, guided by shepherds and shopkeepers, made their way through decorated halls in the church which included prophets, Roman guards and a census taker. Outside, wise men, angels, live animals and the holy family, including a real baby, completed the experience. The journey ended with homemade cookies baked by church members.
Every year, more than 300 volunteers work to create this free holiday tradition. Through the years, other churches including St. Nicholas Catholic Church, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church and Lynnhaven United Methodist Church became involved. We’ve had more than 20,000 visitors.
Realizing that social distancing is going to make wandering the “streets” of Bethlehem impossible, the group is creating a drivethru version of the story. On Dec.
4 and 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., visitors will drive through the St. Nicholas Church parking lot and see the story’s familiar characters and animals through a live nativity scene.
Despite the pandemic, our community tradition of telling the Christmas story will continue. None of us could imagine Christmas without it.
Frederick “Boots” Farley, Hanover Park, IL
My wife and I both grew up in Virginia Beach and own a second home on the bay in Virginia Beach. We have lots of relatives in Virginia Beach, including sisters, nephews, nieces and their children and grandchildren. We seldom get together, so for the last 20 years I have hosted a Christmas dinner in early December at Bubba’s seafood restaurant on Shore Drive. This is typically a festive affair, enjoyed by all. This year, with COVID so prevalent, I have canceled the dinner so as not to create a “super-spreader” event for my family. We all are hoping we can resume this tradition next year.
Charlie Andrews, Southern Shores, N.C.
Every year for the past four decades, an extended family Thanksgiving has been hosted by
my sister-in-law and, before her, her mother. In recent years, that was in Northern Virginia. Every family pitched in and contributed a dish or dessert. At the end of the night, all of my generation’s kids would sit on the spiral staircase and pose for a group picture. They are now adults and have added their kids to the staircase. That tradition stops this year because of COVID and our aging elders.
My kids are getting together to start their own traditions with their families. They both have kids who have been socially active with baseball, dance and school. They are comfortable being around each other. I like that my kids want to be with each other.
My wife and I are retired and in that age bracket where we don’t want to risk exposure to the virus. The question now is whether Thanksgiving will ever return to what it was for my family. Or, does the pandemic change the fiber of our being in yet another way?
“The question now is whether Thanksgiving will ever return to what it was for my family.”
— Charlie Andrews, Southern Shores, N.C.
Howard Waters, Williamsburg
In our family, the big gathering of the year is Thanksgiving. People would come from all over Virginia as well as Chicago and Seattle. The typical gathering was about 30 people. My mother-in-law, the matriarch of the family at age 90, would be the star of the show. This year, we will have no more than eight brave souls from the immediate area. My mother-in-law has hardly seen anyone since March. She is in good health but has been in lockdown in her independent living facility in Virginia Beach. My son and daughter-in-law live in Seattle so we haven’t seen them since last Thanksgiving and foresee it will be another six months or more until we do.
Karen Lyons, Virginia Beach
I like Thanksgiving because it can be celebrated by all. I was born into a family with four siblings and we are all grown with families of our own, including a few grands. We are spread out from Ottawa, Canada to New Orleans, with stops in between in New York, Massachusetts and Virginia Beach. Thanksgiving is the one holiday where all the generations come together at our still healthy parents’ home in New Jersey. With
respect to the science, there was no noisy gathering this year due to the pandemic.
Mary Dickinson, Virginia Beach
COVID has affected all our lives in so many ways. Since 1968, my husband and I have celebrated in the same house with our four children. Through the years, our guest list has increased 100 fold, including in-laws, our children’s in-laws, our grandchildren, grandchildren’s friends and those who have no families in town. At times, we have had as many as 24 folks. Our preparations would start in the morning with our granddaughters’ table-setting lessons and someone asking, “Who cleans out the turkey this year, Mimi?” Everyone dances to ABBA and then goes home to dress for the occasion. Kool-Aid and ginger ale have now been replaced by mimosas and Bud Light. This year will be different due to our self-imposed quarantine. We are in our late 80s and we felt this would be prudent. Wewill celebrate alone, thankful that we are safe and that out of 22 family members only two have contracted the virus and those cases were mild. We will pray for a vaccine so that 2021 will be different — in every way!