A family sits down to Christmas dinner. The food tastes just as delicious as it did last year, but the room feels empty. What was once a big and bustling celebration with family is reduced to a quiet dinner at home with only a quarter of the smiling faces from the year before.

This year, celebrations will look different and family traditions will be altered. COVID-19 guidelines limit the amount of people allowed at a gathering to a maximum of 3 households and traveling can be risky. Traditions and family plans have altered and Miramonte students accommodate their plans to this year’s circumstances.“We celebrate Hanukkah and every year we get together with our family friends and eat a lot of food,”sophomore Abigail Weiner said. “I think that unfortunately, we won’t be able to get together with our family friends [this year], or if we do it will be much different,” Weiner said. 

 “Every year on Christmas day we watch the Godfather as a family after opening presents,” senior Gianna Capozzi said. People also connect and celebrate with family over food and games. “I have always been with family for the holidays. The women on my mom’s side of the family usually put together a big feast of turkey and other delicious foods and we all come together to catch up, eat, play games and enjoy being all together,” World History and AP European History teacher Kelly Ginocchio said. “Every Christmas we play white elephant where we trade presents and a little twist we do is by adding money on the gift,” freshman Emilie Tham said. 

Despite the new outcome of this year, for some the holidays can still be celebrated among close family and relatives. We can use platforms including Zoom or FaceTime to stay in touch with loved ones. “We can express love and appreciation and share some unique memories this year- something that will make us all the more appreciative when it is safe to gather, hug and enjoy being all together once again,” Ginocchio said. 

  As you hop on to your family’s online holiday Zoom in replacement of gathering around the dining room table, you are instantly greeted by the warm smiles of your relatives. Their presences comfort you as you laugh and reminisce with them, looking forward to the next time you’ll get to see them in person.