Wednesday was the eve of Christmas Eve, which in pre-pandemic days was a big day for the Colorado Schneider’s. We started a tradition of throwing a Christmas Eve-Eve party every year, where we’d invite friends and family, make and eat tons of food, and generally engage in holiday cheer.
Clearly, this year is different and we can’t do our big in-person party. But we recently were talking about how much we missed our old gang from back in Chicago, and that we should get a Zoom together. So mixing that idea with the idea of our traditional party, we decided to set up a Christmas Eve-Eve virtual party with our friends back in the Central time zone.
But before that, we had things to do to get ready for Christmas. First up for me was heading to a local butcher shop where I always pre-order a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with the idea this year, and there was quite a line to get in. But, it moved along, everyone was distanced and respectful in the small space inside, and I got my turkey and was on my way.
Back home, Erin and the kids worked on making Christmas cookies and decorating them. They always have lots of fun taking part in this time-honored tradition.
The sun was out, and it seemed like a nice day, so I took the kids to the park for a while. I still can’t always get the hang of Colorado weather, which often ends up being warmer than it looks. This was a case, however, where it was lots colder than it looked. Still, the kids had fun.
After a few minutes, Henry asked for his mittens and I realized I’d forgotten them, so I offered him my gloves. To my surprise, he wore them the rest of the time, running around with hilariously oversized hands.
With that done and cookies ready, I prepped and got a ham in the oven for dinner. (Ham being our traditional Christmas Eve-Eve feast.) Then we got online with our friends.
It was awesome. We all talked, had some drinks and joked around like old time. Yes, Zoom can be a weird format because only one person can really talk at a time and it can be a little clumsy, but boy did it ever feel good to see and talk to our friends. We were on for a few hours and definitely want to do that again sooner rather than later.
Yes, not the same as our usual Christmas Eve-Eve, but it goes to show that even in a pandemic where getting together in person isn’t always possible, practical or safe, the real magic of Christmastime still comes from connecting with the people we love. No matter what the format or how it’s done.
