Honoring Christmas Traditions

By Danielle Alexander

I stopped at my grandmother’s house a few weeks ago to help her set up her first-ever smartphone. 88-years-old, she is not only on Facebook but still insists on hosting our family’s annual Christmas Eve dinner. Normally this would have been about the time when she assigned me the appetizer or pie she wanted me to bring; however, neither of us dared to bring up the holidays out of fear of what might be said.

What would be my 33rd Christmas Eve spent at Nana’s house, I didn’t want to hear it was cancelled, but, at the same time, I knew a 30-plus gathering just cannot happen this year. Our family is currently working on figuring out a way to make the evening safe yet still joyful for everyone; however, there are still a handful of Christmas traditions that COVID-19 will not be able to take from us.

Getting in the Spirit

Ever since I was a kid, my family and I have piled in the car, blasted non-stop Christmas music and drove up for a day– and some years also overnight– to Frankenmuth. Although masks are currently required at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland and in the River Place Shops, and you’re encouraged to socially distance while walking through town, my kids and I still enjoyed our time there, returning home with the usuals: new ornaments for our tree, gifts for friends and family members and, of course, full bellies.

Another Christmas tradition that my husband and I actually started right after we got married is picking an evening in December to attend Greenfield Village’s Holiday Nights. Despite the fact that there are several program modifications to keep guests and staff members healthy and safe this year, Greenfield Village is still committed to creating a “magical Holiday Nights experience.” Nothing gets us in the Christmas spirit like the taste of spiked hot cider, the smell of roasting chestnuts and the sound of Christmas music sung and played by carolers and fiddlers in costume.

Preparing for Santa

Even during a global pandemic, Santa Claus still delivers. My kids have already had conversations about what type of mask they think he will be wearing Christmas Eve, but my husband and I have assured them that regardless of what it looks like, we will leave a note telling him he’s allowed to pull it down to eat the homemade cookies we always set out for him.

There are several places, including Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, where kids can still see Santa but in a socially-distanced, non-contact manner. To avoid large crowds though, we’ve made the decision to attend West Bloomfield Parks’ Letters to Santa event at a pre-reserved time where our son and daughter can see Santa and his helpers, give him their letters and receive a goody bag on the way out.

Prioritizing the Reason for the Season

As much as our children and their cousins love Santa and the gifts they receive from both him and us, my family and in-laws are always working to remind the little ones of the true meaning of Christmas. We plan to still take our kids to in-person mass on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day; however, if this isn't an option, churches are offering mass via live stream.

Vidal and Heather Denha have always spent the month of December reading the Bible to their three children and talking about Jesus’ birthday, which they still plan to do. Angela Kirma added that her family specifically starts reading the Book of Luke on December 1 since it’s 24 chapters long, leading right up to Christmas.

“We also love to donate, and we make the kids a part of that,” Heather said. “This year, the Giving Trees at church are only full of giftcard tabs, but I plan to talk to the kids about how some people are even in need of gas.”

Angela agreed, saying that in addition to adopting a family, she and her husband Bashar let their children buy gifts for one another, too: “I always try to focus more on the giving than the receiving. It’s so cute to see their excitement as their sibling opens the gift that they put time, effort and thought into!”

Cherish Traditions Safely

If you do decide to attend a gathering, the CDC recommends that you bring your own food, drinks, plates, cups and utensils; wear a mask and safely store your mask while eating and drinking; avoid going in and out of the areas where food is being prepared or handled, such as in the kitchen; use single-use options like salad dressing and condiment packets and disposable items like food containers, plates and utensils.

If you host a gathering, the CDC suggests having a small outdoor meal with family and friends who live in your community; limiting the number of guests; having conversations with guests ahead of time to set expectations for celebrating together; cleaning and disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces and items between use; opening windows if the celebration is taking place indoors; limiting the number of people in food preparation areas; having guests bring their own food and drink; having one person serve food and use single-use options like plastic utensils. Learn more at cdc.gov.

Danielle Alexander is the owner of Edify LLC, a tutoring/editing/freelance writing business. Although the holidays will look different this year, she hopes that the Chaldean community will make the best of it and stay healthy.