It’s the time of year that encourages families and friends to get together and spend time with one another. However, in 2020 this is not the case. Living life in 2020 has been a year like no other, from school to sports to doing basic errands like grocery shopping, everything is different. Especially this holiday season. 

With Governor Kate Brown’s new 2-week shutdown overlapping with Thanksgiving, everyone’s plans are different then they would normally be. Most non-essential businesses are shut down once again and gatherings are now limited to less than 6 people. This frustrates many people seeing as though the holidays are just around the corner. What does your social distancing holiday season look like? Senior Linnea Collet said, “we would usually have Thanksgiving all together with our family from Seattle and San Diego, now we can’t.” Linnea explains how she gets together with her family from the West Coast every year but this year they’re unable to do so. Many people are in the same boat as Linnea and her family. Senior Jadyn Sherry said her grandfather’s high-risk for COVID, “We were going to visit him for Christmas in Arizona, we haven’t seen him in eight years but because he’s high-risk we can’t visit anymore”

This holiday season is going to be a lot harder than others; people are used to spending time with extended family who might not usually get to see other times during the year. It can be very upsetting to be alone during the holidays but this year it’s something we all have to accept. It’s important that we look on the bright side. Spending one holiday season apart could save lives. Thankfully, most of us are by now familiar with zoom and it might not be ideal but it’s a way to stay connected.

Stay safe this holiday season Wildcats!