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  2020-12-14

  Santa to the rescue

  This holiday, we were on an emergency stay at home order. Solano County advised that all gatherings should cease. Meaning that our holiday was unfortunately canceled. My family has been working hard to adhere to the rules and orders, but we are all feeling a little exhausted from it all. I especially wanted to visit my parents in Oregon. Originally, we were thinking of getting tested for Covid right before we headed up to Oregon. But my mom being a medical worker did not feel that she could guarantee our safety. So for a little change in our routines, we made hot cocoa at home and filled up our new mugs. We got warm and cozy (All in our jammies and hats) and piled into the car with blankets. Then we drove to a local neighborhood that is well known for its holiday spirit. The locals call these streets Lollypop Lane, and it adjoins with a road we call Candy Cane Lane. We just cruised in a big loop listening to Christmas music for hours. Whatever, the kids were happy and we felt like we were doing something out of the ordinary for the first time in a long time. At one house, a man dressed as Santa yelled to the children in their cars and told them that he knew they had been good. It was sweet. All and all we went looking for Christmas lights every few days.
• 0021-01-06

  Christmas During Covid

  This year for Christmas, it felt the same. There was only a subtle difference between the holidays of last year and this year. On Christmas Eve, my dad and I went to Costco to buy necessities lacked at home. All of the shoppers needed to wear masks, which is different from previous years. However, the current guidelines have been initiated for many months already, so I have already adapted. Every Christmas morning, my little brother and I would wake up to find presents from "Santa" under the Christmas tree. This year, I received a crochet kit and polymer clay kit. I gave my mom a watercolor butterfly and heart hair clip; I gave my dad a Christmas-themed fortune teller. After the exchange of gifts, I spent the rest of the day playing and fiddling with my new gifts. Most of my Christmases, including this one, are the same.
• 2020-12-25

  Christmas 2020

  My family did what we always do for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we all went to church. Our church, Calvary, in Westlake Village, California, had 2 in person service so we went to the one at 3. We had to wear masks and social distance, but you had to do that everywhere. Being inside a church was a weird feeling because we haven't been in the church for about 10 months due to Covid-19. Then my grandma, mom, aunt, uncle and sisters, went to my aunt and uncles house for dinner. We were suppose to get beef Wellington but the butcher messed up and gave us steak, which defiantly worked for me. We played games like scene it and 80's music trivia. Then my sisters, mom, grandma and I left because to was 10 pm. My grandma slept over on Christmas Eve like she used to when we were littler. We woke up the next day and my sisters and I opened gifts from "santa" and my mom. We then went over to my aunts and uncles for a brunch and opened gifts from each other. It felt pretty normal all together but when we go out into public it is not by far.
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  2020-12-07

  Santa's Naughty List Pandemic Season

  A friend shared this on her Facebook page. I wanted to share it, but this type of imagery is so polarizing that it's sometimes exhausting to get into a social media battle. I do think about unfriending people who don't think COVID is real and don't want to wear masts. The truth is, one only need to look at Australia to see that strong public health restrictions actually do stop/slow community spread. Anyway, if there were a Santa he'd say put your mask on and be jolly about it.
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  2020

  Weihnachten steht vor der Tür

  In Germany and many other countries apparently, there is a Santa alternative known as the Christkind or Christkindlr, thought it was interesting to think about this upcoming pandemic holiday season. Translation, Literal: [ Fuck the ChristmasMan, with all my home-is comes the Christ Child ] Translation, Nonliteral: [ Fuck Santa, all my homies are with the Christkind ]