Abbigeal Griggs, Staff Writer
DIFFERENT: In 2020, students struggled to see Christmas as Christmas.
Christmas is usually called the “happiest time of the year,” but was that still a fitting name for Christmas in 2020? Here’s what Poly students Matthew Hudson (grade 11), Kendra White (grade 10), Jenna Largent (grade 10), and Fiona Kuderman (grade 10) had to say. Hudson says that “Christmas during COVID was not as enjoyable and definitely not as normal as past Christmases. I felt lonely because I wasn’t able to see my grandparents and other family members we would usually see. Christmas just felt like a normal day without school, like the weekend.” Unfortunately, other responses were very similar to Hudson’s. Kendra White, felt that this Christmas was not quite as enjoyable as in past years, but that it “wasn’t horrible.” She wished she could’ve seen her grandmother for the holidays, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was not the case.
While the pandemic ruined Christmas plans for some, other students were able to retain some sense of normalcy in a very abnormal holiday season. When asked about her experience, Jenna Largent said that her Christmas was “delightful and normal. My family and I recently had COVID, so we didn’t have to worry about getting anyone sick. We usually don’t have big family gatherings but this year we had some family from out of state come, which was fun.” Fiona Kuderman also had a similar experience. She states, “Christmas was very good this year. I still go to see some of my family, but we did have to cancel our annual Christmas party because some of my family had COVID. Yet this was one of the best Christmases I had ever had.”
Of course, with the pandemic still raging on in 2021, it is difficult to even remember Christmas at all. To many, the day just blurred into another day at home. However, despite the holiday season definitely being different from normal, it is nice to see that some still found ways of enjoying the day. After all, there is no greater gift than time that can be spent seeing friends and family. The pandemic has made this clear, especially for those who have lost someone during it, and were unable to be there in the last days of their lives. For now, as COVID-19 infections continus to surge, the best present we can ask for is a vaccine, so there may ber a merrier Christmas for all in 2021.
To learn more about COVID-19, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html