Holiday Cheer during a Pandemic

On Friday we hosted a little zoom holiday gathering. Part of our annual holiday party is a Yankee Swap, which Tiff was hell-bent on keeping alive during this particularly strange year. So, over the last week or so, Tiff put together little cocktail and cookie packages for anyone that will be logging on. Some of the packages were sent through the mail and others have been dropped at doors with a quick hello. We even spent an hour around a backyard fire with some friends (and beers) that we hadn’t seen in months.

Tiff’s planning started in October, when it was very clear there would be no in-person holiday party. I was skeptical, admittedly, thinking a zoom invitation might actually result in more people saying yes and driving all over creation to drop things off. After all, spending an hour on the computer is a lot easier than finding babysitters, getting an uber, and braving the cold weather (Friday’s “real feel” was 15 degrees on Friday in Boston). We do in fact have more people joining than in other years. Over the years, our party’s size has ebbed and flowed, from 8 people one year to 20+ others years.

Tiff was running around organizing work events and our gathering this week. Baking, cocktailing, and making endless drizzly orders as clients send in last minute RSVPs for remote work events.

My skepticism in October and November fizzled this week when we visited a few friends and did package drop-offs to people. 2020 has been a crappy year, and I know that many of us are looking forward to having it in the rear-view mirror. To hear and see how appreciative people were this week at a little bit of holiday cheer might seem simple, but I’m glad Tiff decided to keep old traditions alive.

During each package drop-off, we also collected Yankee Swap gifts (Theme: shop local, shop small) and on Sunday we drove a few hours around Massachusetts to deliver the gifts that people won. Honey, soap, and beer were the most popular gifts (we’ll all be sweet, clean, and drunk in 2021…).

I hope everyone has a Tiff in their life this holiday season. A stubbornly optimistic holiday lover who is going to bring cheer, even in the face of a pandemic.