The harsh, cold wind blows outside, snowflakes fall from the sky. A red and orange glow comes from the blazing fireplace as it warms the house. The scent of freshly baked cookies and other sugary treats fills the air. The house inside and out is decorated in bright white, red and green decorations. In the living room there is a large Christmas tree with ornaments and garland on it, ready for yet another holiday season.

This year Christmas may look a little different for some. Due to COVID-19 some may not be able to see family members or go on trips. Thankfully for most they have little to no change to their plans, so this won’t stop them from enjoying the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is the time for cheer and why not make the most of it. No matter what happens people’s love for Christmas is still very much alive.

“Christmas is a time of peace and joy; a time to spend with family during the holidays – or at least it used too,” senior Anastasia Thomas said. “I enjoyed the time I got to be with my family, how fun it used to be.”

Some people this year are lucky and get to spend their Christmas like every other year despite all the new challenges that have come up. 

“I don’t have to change my plans this year because we usually tend to stay home and we don’t usually go anywhere fancy,” sophomore Riley Rivas said.

However some people, Christmas has had to be adjusted slightly because of COVID-19 and how things must be done more safely. People have had to be more cautious especially if they’re around family members who are older or a higher risk.

“My Christmas should be relatively normal,” junior Eli Craddock said. “The only difference that I could possibly predict is having some family members not being able to attend the annual family gathering to avoid possible contamination.”

With new rules added to everyday life because of COVID-19, it has not only affected the Christmas holiday, but also the time leading up to it too. 

“I feel like Corona has affected the events that happen before Christmas the most for me,” junior Ariana Flores said. “With people not holding Christmas parties and secret Santa exchanges there will be less things to look forward to this year and that’s a little disappointing.”

Despite all of the events that have taken place this year Christmas has been something that brings joy, and some have learned to appreciate it even more. Especially with how 2020 has gone it has allowed people to reflect and think.

“Just seeing so many people pass away because of Covid I feel like it makes me more appreciative towards what I have, and just being alive,” Rivas said.

Something about the holiday season too is that it has been able to help people feel grounded in a sense. Some families have traditions that take place every year and with this it has allowed them to have some type of constant in their life. With this it has given people something to look forward to.

“A tradition that me and my family do every year is make tamales for Christmas and Mexican wedding cookies which my grandma tries to make for every special occasion,” Flores said. “Her tamales are so good that I have yet to taste any other tamales that compare to them.”

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By Abby Hernandez, staff writer

Featured photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash