We don’t have to remind you folks out there that the times we are living in are anything but “normal”. Schedules are being changed and re-changed. Employment has been originating from home, through virtual means, or even not at all! From things being different, altered, or just plain f#cked up, this year doesn’t have a lot to celebrate or to celebrate in ways not experienced before!
Using this week (Monday, October 26th onward) as our stating point, the days that mean a lot to folks are getting a once over change. And we’ll run down through a few of the holidays that fall between this week and the end of the year to provide some kind of recap. And to make it rather simple, we’ll just limit ourselves to days normally celebrated by at least 50% of the U.S. population. So if we don’t mention St. Swizen’s Day, then we apologize, assuming that St. Swizen’s Day hasn’t already passed!!
For starters, The Center for Decease Control, as well as the Los Angeles Country (California) Department of Health had given pointers on how to handle this year’s Halloween festivities. This news service already gave our own two cents over that issue. (See Vol. 25-No. 42 for details). So we’ll move on from there!
After All Saint’s Day (November 1st) and Day of the Dead (November 2nd), is Election Day, (November 3rd). the day where one should vote for many ballot-based entries as well as for the candidates listed on the said ballot, from entry for local dog catcher to who’s going to become King of the USA! That “day” has tuned into a “season” where voting by mail through the weeks has been suggested, encouraged, or in a few cases, placed as mandatory! That voting period has already started and will be counted, just as long as the ballots arrives to where it should be accepted and counted by the local deadlines.
Afterwards, there’s Veteran’s Day-November 9th. That’s a day that is often confused with Memorial Day-the last Monday in May. Veterans Day is the day to thank all of those that served in the Armed Forces that has since come back to tell their tales. When one has the chance, thank a vet for their service. They would appreciate such!
Now we are coming to “the big three”-Thanksgiving-November 26th, “The Holidays”; Christmas, Hanukah, and other days that fall through the month of December. And there is New Year’s Eve/Day. Those moments that occur during the final six weeks of the year are the ones that really matter to a lot of folks, from the acts of buying goods to the standard merry making antics! Those days has also been the subject of many a TV program and feature film, and hold the worth of telling the stories again and again, for comic relief or otherwise.
However, how are the 2020 editions of these times of the season going to hold out? According to a recent study by Reach3 Insights, a consumer research platform that uses chat-based technology and applications, it was noted that nearly two thirds (64%) of those participating in the survey said that they will be celebrating “The Holidays” this year, although it wasn’t noted how those days will be committed compared to how they they were celebrated in the recent past. (i.e. 2019 and beforehand!)
But before “The Holidays” officially kick in, there’s Thanksgiving. That’s the day where family, friends, and in many cases, perfect strangers meet to take part in that big meal of Turkey and all of the trimmings! However, thanks to fears of people gathering in one place, the notions of travel, and many other factors too long to list, gatherings may wind up as a whole lot smaller in size and scope. People that live nearby may get together, but it will be more of a lower key affair. Restaurants that would normally cater to those that would rather eat out than to cook for hours or even days, may be open or not, depending on how local standards hold out. If one is in a warmer climate such as Arizona, Florida, or maybe Texas, one can have an outdoor Thanksgiving! For the rest of the nation, not so much!
And Macy’s won’t be hosting a parade this year, either! This means no camping along the streets from Central Park West down along Broadway. No balloons to view! No marching bands to see! No nothing! NBC, the network that’s been televising the parade since the 1950’s, will have a TV event on that day, but it’s going to be more of a “variety show” than a parade! It’s a far cry to when Loren Green and Betty White used to present the program on Thanksgiving morning back in the day! (Good news sports fans! There will be Football to view that day! So all is not lost!!)
The day that’s going to get the short end of the stick is New Year’s Eve/Day. The Reach3 Insights report notes that 40% will be doing no celebrating for that day. This means that the popping of champaign corks will be on the quiet side this year. Then again, a lot of people will say “2020–Good bye and good riddance”! So much for the start of the Roarin’ 20s!! (P.S.–No Rose Parade that year as well! So don’t bother to camp along Colorado Blvd. on December 31st!)
But in these days, things will all be subject to change. Let’s hope that change will be for the better! Just don’t make definite plans! And don’t forget to wear that mask! (Stay safe, gang!!)
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