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WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
HOLIDAY 2020
Liven up the virtual holiday season These six local seasonal events are ready to be streamed online. NATHAN DAVIS Staff Writer
This year’s holiday season may be unconventional, but that does not mean that the holiday spirit and festivities have to stop. With the holidays quickly approaching and the pandemic still raging, people are looking for safe ways to spend their holidays. There are several virtual events happening in Orange County this season that are sure to spread holiday cheer. Not only will these events brighten up your holiday, but attending them supports local establishments during a time when many of them have been forced to close. Here are six virtual events happening in Orange County during the holidays that are sure to liven up your winter season: South Coast Repertory — “A Christmas Carol” Through Jan. 3, the South Coast Repertory will host their adaptation of “A Christmas Carol,” which is available to stream from their website. The show features Jefferson Mays, a Tony Award winner, playing over 50 roles in this oneman show. The production is 91 minutes
long, and the total price for a ticket is $57.50. Once purchased, “A Christmas Carol” can be viewed an unlimited amount of times within 24 hours after the opening of the show. Huntington Academy of Dance — “The Nutcracker: A Pandemic Tale” Ballet Etudes at Huntington Academy of Dance is having their 23rd annual performance of “The Nutcracker.” This year, the play will be performed for a virtual audience. The performance will feature a new and unique storyline that takes on the current climate of the pandemic. The main character, Clara, contracts the Russian flu and is forced to cancel her annual Christmas Eve party as she begins to quarantine in her home. Watch the show to see how she reignites her holiday spirit. The performance will be livestreamed several times throughout December and costs $25 to virtually attend. Aquarium of the Pacific — Aquarium Holidays The Aquarium of the Pacific is holding several virtual holiday events this year. On Dec. 13, the aquarium will hold a virtual Hanukkah event where Hanukkah music and stories will be shared, and guests will be treated to a performance by an Aquarium Pacific Pals puppet. On Dec. 26, the aquarium will host a virtual Kwanzaa
celebration with Baba the Storyteller teaching the practices and principles of Kwanzaa. The show will also feature an appearance by an Aquarium Pacific Pals puppet. Both of these events are free to livestream and will be available to watch on demand afterwards. Coast City Ballet — “The Nutcracker” Those looking for a performance of “The Nutcracker” that aligns more closely to the original will enjoy Coast City Ballet’s rendition of the show. This is their 17th annual performance, and they are offering it virtually this year. This year’s performances can be livestreamed on Dec. 20 and 23, and it costs $30 to virtually attend. Laguna Playhouse — “Yes, Virginia” Laguna Playhouse is showing an original production this year. “Yes, Virginia” is a new holiday comedy following two older women as they try to navigate life in suburban Detroit. The cast features “iCarly” actress Mindy Sterling and “Dreamgirls” star Arnetia Walker as the sole performers. The show is available to livestream on Dec. 17 and will also be available to watch on demand for 96 hours after the premiere date. A ticket to the livestream or on demand version is $20, but
for $30 you can watch the show and attend a talkback with the creative team who organized the show. Musco Center & Carpenter Performing Arts Center — “Noche Buena — Christmas Eve in Mexico” On Dec. 17 and 19, the Musco Center and Carpenter Performing Arts Center will have “Noche Buena – Christmas Eve in Mexico,” a concert featuring performances from Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi
Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar. Before the event begins at 7 p.m., Kareli Montoya and Jimmy K. Cuéllar, the directors behind the performance, will be hosting a live Q&A at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to watch the show live are free and automatically include access to the Q&A with the directors. With a unique holiday season coming up after a hectic year, these events are sure to liven your holidays, and they can be enjoyed from the comfort and safety of your own home.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATHAN DAVIS / DAILY TITAN
WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
HOLIDAY 2020
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Netflix’s 2020 holiday films ranked To commemorate the winter season, we rated six promising films. JESSICA BENDA Editor
The novel coronavirus is continuing to sweep the nation as cases rise and — Wait. That’s not the right story. We’ve heard enough about the disaster dubbed 2020 over the last nine months, and it’s time for a break. If there was ever a need for holiday escapism, now is the time, and luckily, Netflix has delivered a fresh batch of holiday films. Last year, I ranked all of the Netflix original holiday romcoms from bad to worst, but because we didn’t get a slew of those this season, I opened up the ranking to 2020 Netflix original holiday movies of all genres. The following films are fun, cliche, and COVID-19 free.
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6. “The Princess Switch 2” Two years after the first “Princess Switch,” which starred Vanessa Hudgens and Vanessa Hudgens with a British accent, a third lookalike is back to shake things up again. Thankfully, the film begins with a recap of its predecessor, where it frequently remarks “you probably remember,” even though I’m fairly sure none of us do. In short, Duchess Margaret (Hudgens) is about to become queen, while baker-turned-princess Stacy (Hudgens) sways in the background. However, things take a turn when Margaret’s cousin Fiona (unsurprisingly, Hudgens) tries to steal Margaret’s life. Fiona dresses like a discount Christina Aguilar and says things like “spoopy,” “his royal hotness” and “minions, I need champagne.” In short, it’s best to have Urban Dictionary on hand. Fiona ends up kidnapping Stacy after thinking she’s Margaret who was pretending to be Stacy and — yes, the plot is a mouthful. As one character says in the film, “I’m very confused.” Two stars, but could likely be four if watched with alcohol. 5. “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” This movie should have been called “Christine Baranski’s Christmas on the Square,” because although Dolly appears
every now and then, Baranski makes the show as a modern-day Scrooge. A frequent actor in holiday films, including playing Martha May Whovier in the 2000’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Baranski is back as Regina, a woman selling her childhood town. Despite the residents’ despair, she hands out eviction notices and notifies them the town will be replaced with a mall, ordering them out before Christmas. One resident tells her that greedy people trudge a rocky road, to which Regina replies, “Note to self: Buy more comfortable shoes.” Martha May is weeping. The songs were lackluster, even those by Parton — who is fairly forgettable for being the show’s namesake. Still, there’s spirit, heart, and an odd church number where they sing about murdering Regina. Regina’s redemption is heartfelt and the film feels classically Christmas, and points for a plot twist I didn’t see coming. Three stars. 4. “Christmas Chronicles 2” The ”Christmas Chronicles 2“ is that candy box grandma gives you on Christmas that turns out to only hold socks. It’s not that I don’t like socks, but after expecting candy it’s a bit of a letdown. The first film felt like an instant classic — a heartfelt, fresh spin featuring a modernized Santa Claus, livened by Kurt Russell, and following siblings Teddy and Kate as they
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wrestle with the loss of their firefighter father while crashing Santa’s Christmas Eve run. Two years later, now-teenage Kate and anxiety-ridden Jack—her mom’s boyfriend’s son—are whisked off to the North Pole as a bitter former elf stages a coup to overthrow Santa. The first film had a spoonful of magic, but the sequel spilled the whole pot. The North Pole is lathered in Christmas spirit and populated by elves that rival the cuteness of Minions. Goldie Hawn is here too as a perfect Mrs. Claus and the other half of Russel’s power duo. The sequel still had moments of heart, but the plot lacked intrigue and villain Belsnickel isn’t compelling enough to take seriously. It’s not a bad film, but it can’t fill the black boots of its predecessor. Three and a half stars. 3. “Operation Christmas Drop” In a world of cookie-cutter Christmas movies, this one was new. Based on the U.S. Air
Force’s real-life Operation Christmas Drop, in which planes drop vital supplies across 55 islands for the holidays, the film adds an element of romance to make the real operation a Christmas favorite. Snowy suburbs are nowhere to be found, and Guam’s beaches look far more like my sunny Southern California holidays than any other film on this list. Congressional aide Erica flies to Guam’s military base, tasked with writing a report that will get the base closed because of its Christmas drop. Before she can become the Erica who stole Christmas, she meets Captain Andrew, who — surprise — shows her the joy of the holidays. While the film won’t warrant a rewatch, it was a fresh take mixed with a few beloved cliches. Plus, the leading man is Alexander Lugwig, also known as Cato from The Hunger Games. Four stars. 2. “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” I haven’t seen a more emotional first 10 minutes of a film since Pixar’s “Up.” The beginning is a brilliant, whimsical setup that tells us exactly how Jeronicus Jangle, the greatest inventor of all time, lost everything. Thirty years later, Jeronicus’ wife is deceased, daughter estranged and toy-turned-pawn shop a few days from bankruptcy. With the arrival of his granddaughter, however, life seeps back into the world — and his inventions — once again. “Jingle Jangle” has a healthy SEE FILM 4
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WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
HOLIDAY 2020
Films: What to watch this Christmas CONTINUED FROM
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dose of magic and musical numbers, creating a stylized world through whimsical sets and colorful costumes. If the film feels like a holiday edition of the 2016 “The Greatest Showman,” it’s because they share the same choreographer and can-do attitude. It’s a Christmas confection: a thoroughly enjoyable experience, but too much might make you sick. Four stars!
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1. “Holidate” By now, it’s clear that this list is overwhelmingly subjective, which is why the brilliant mess called “Holidate” snagged the top spot.
The plot kicks off when two bristly strangers who spend an unusual amount of time in shopping malls agree to be each other’s platonic holidates, which means they spend holiday festivities together to avoid the awkwardness of showing up alone. Sloane and Jackson rage through New Year’s, drink on St. Patrick’s Day and blow Jackson’s finger off with a firework on the Fourth of July. You know, the usual. Some parts felt like I was watching scenes in my high school drama class, which made it just the right amount of awful. Sloane and Jackson have a natural chemistry and more personality in Jackson’s chopped finger than most romcom leads. Points to letting characters develop a relationship over months rather than a stuffed two days. Most of this movie is deprived of Christmas, but since it begins and ends in the happiest time of the year, it scraped into the ranking and stole the #1 spot. Five stars, plus a few more for a painfully accurate depiction of the kids table and Easter egg hunts. Happy holidays, and in 2021, may we too find our soulmates in a shopping mall.
5 Holiday cheers to a 2020-proof gift guide WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
HOLIDAY 2020
Here are six “practical” ideas for an unusual giving season.
list feeling relieved.
JASON SANCHEZ Asst. Editor
Handing out gifts this holiday season may feel inappropriate when we consider the magnitude of what many people have lost because of the pandemic, but gift giving is an act of love, and love is always an essential item. However, with the ongoing economic crisis and a second relief package in limbo, many Americans are strapped for cash. With these circumstances in mind, here is a roundup of affordable, practical and thoughtful gift ideas for your loved ones. Personal Protective Equipment While a COVID-19 vaccine is hurling forward, the fight is not over yet. It is still critical that everyone continues to take protective measures as vaccines are distributed. Give the gift of peace of mind this season with personal protective equipment including masks, face shields and gloves. Though the coveted N95 masks remain in shortage in some areas, various forms of masks are now in stock at most major retailers. Also, consider supporting a small business by
HUYEN TRAN TRAN / DAILY TITAN
purchasing masks from one of the many good samaritans who sprung into action this year by crafting their own masks. Cleaning supplies If you can get your hands on them, cleaning supplies like disinfectant spray or antibacterial surface wipes will show your loved ones just how much you care about their health and well-being. Help them protect themselves on the go with travel-sized hand sanitizer and electronic-safe screen wipes which can be found at most retailers. For bespectacled friends and family members, check out the popular anti-fog spray
for glasses. This spray ensures that glasses don’t fog up while wearing a mask. Be aware that the market has also been saturated with companies that want to cash in. Make sure to check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration to make sure the products are safe and effective before making a purchase. Toilet Paper In any other year, giving out toilet paper as a present would be awkward and insulting. But this year, it’s the must-have gift of the season. Whether just a roll or a whole pack, toilet paper will have those on your gift
Zoom production gear This year turned our homes into offices and classrooms almost overnight. In the rush, many were left with slapdash setups. Help the hard worker in your life adjust to the new reality by upgrading their virtual gear. This can include tech add-ons like a mini tripod for smartphones, a pair of headphones, or blue light blocking glasses for long periods of screen time, all available through Amazon and other major retailers. If you want to help those on your list improve their production value, buy them a ring light for recording videos which will have them looking as professional as today’s most popular YouTubers. Restaurant, food delivery and grocery store gift cards. An unsettling number of Americans are experiencing hunger and food insecurity for the first time this year. While in-person holiday celebrations may not be an option this year, we can still share a meal by helping feed our loved ones. Give your friends and family gift cards to their favorite restaurants. Find small, local restaurants that offer gift cards to help their business as they endure another shutdown
period. Food delivery companies like UberEats, Postmates and DoorDash offer gift certificates that can be redeemed digitally. You can also feed loved ones by getting them a gift card for a grocery store. Check which grocery stores are in their area and get them a certificate so they can buy what they need. Many grocers, including Stater Bros and Whole Foods, offer gift cards. Though it may seem unthoughtful to give gift cards, you may be making a difference in someone else’s life without realizing it. Office supplies Snagging a pen from a neighbor’s desk is no longer an option. Equip your family and friend’s home offices with basic office supplies like writing utensils, paper and mini-staplers which can be bought online or at most stores. For the busy-bees in your life, get a calendar or weekly planner so they can stay on top of their tasks. Whether or not you give anything this holiday season, make sure you remind those in your life how much you love and appreciate them for making it through 2020.
6 Creating a winter wonderland at home WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
HOLIDAY 2020
How to safely celebrate Christmas and still keep the holiday magic.
everyone you know. Get a little crazy and throw tradition out the window by having your own karaoke night, there’s no shame in singing a bit out of tune since you’ll be out with your closest friends and family.
TAMEKA POLAND Editor
With Christmas right around the corner, there are several ways people can safely gather with family without leaving the comfort of their own home. As the coronavirus continues to keep loved ones at a distance, people have to adjust to holidays without extended family and resort to using FaceTime and other video apps to communicate. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu.” Limiting the number of people you have over this holiday season and only celebrating with those close to you can reduce the risk of catching the coronavirus. However, you can still have a safe and special Christmas at home with your immediate family or roommates. There are several ways you can get creative this season, celebrating the beloved holiday does not have to end. Enjoy the great outdoors If you plan on inviting a small group of your extended family, try to host an outdoor gathering
CINDY PROAÑO / DAILY TITAN
rather than a normal indoor one. You should still require guests to wear masks when they are not eating or drinking and set up outdoor seating under a pop-up openair tent. A negative COVID-19 test might also be a good addition prior to the event. You can turn the outdoors into a Christmas oasis with all the right tools and planning to ensure guests are comfortable. Get creative with the decor, place blankets on each seat for guests, set up string lights or set out pillar candles to add a dose of style. Add as much
holiday decor as you want and can — make it your own winter wonderland. You can keep your family warm with an outdoor tent, wearable blankets, hot hands, a fire pit and outdoor heaters. Set up fun outdoor activities; it’ll help to keep warm and get a nice workout in for those planning to start New Year’s resolutions. Just remember to limit the number of attendees as much as possible to allow people from different households to remain at least sixfeet apart at all times.
Create the indoor day of your dreams Who said you could leave building pillow forts in the past? Grab all the items necessary for this endeavour and lose yourself in the magic of Christmas and pillow architecture. Search your local Target for holiday pajama sets you can buy to match with your family or roommates. Dress up and take photos to send out as the family Christmas card. It can serve as your new 2020 holiday card and you can send these virtually to
Virtual is the word of the year There are several ways you can have a holiday movie night and still be far away from each other. Zoom offers the share screen feature, grab some family members and friends and host a virtual movie night. Take turns on sharing all those streaming accounts like Netflix and HBO Max. You can also utilize the video conferencing service to play games like trivia. Get crafty and create your own family trivia, using all the juicy gossip your mom called to tell you about. If there are kids at home, you can have a virtual decorating party and hold a competition for the best-made cookies. You can also have a virtual crafting hour so that families can color, craft and bake together right from their respective homes. Though the coronavirus has changed how some will spend the holiday season, one thing is for sure, Christmas will still happen and it’s up to you to make new memories with the ones you love the most. Safety is the number one priority, and if there’s anything this year has proved is that anything can happen, especially virtually.
WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
HOLIDAY 2020
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Column: It is OK to not be OK this holiday Experiencing loss is difficult, but learning how to cope can help relieve the pain. MICHAEL QUINTERO Staff Writer
The inevitable holidays are coming with no escape route in sight. For me, the holiday season isn’t the happiest time of the year. It is the saddest time of the year intertwined with Father’s Day. I sound like a broken record, but I lost my dad five years ago when I was 22 years old. He died two weeks before Thanksgiving, so the holiday season has always been something I tend to not look forward to. But, I learned from meeting classmates and co-workers that losing a parent at a young age is not unusual. One positive factor this year is not having to attend a family Christmas party where my relatives only ask me “Do you miss your dad?” or “I hope you’re doing well,” when in fact they’re saying that because I’m standing right in front of them. Grieving or feeling gloomy during the cheerful season is more normal than you’d expect. The difference is how you spend your holiday season; there is a fine line between feeling downhearted and feeling depressed. Everyone grieves their own way. Some want to isolate themselves during the holiday season, while others might want to
intoxicate themselves at every family gathering. During my first year celebrating the holidays, I isolated myself. The third-year after my dad’s passing, I was intoxicated. Despite my initial coping methods, here are tips I’ve learned over the past five holidays that I wish I knew in year one. Reach out Pretty self-explanatory, but this can work for some people and not for others. Some may not have someone to reach out to or have trouble finding support during the holidays. Reaching out may seem like a burden to someone, or at least that is how I felt, but looking for guidance is how you’ll discover who will truly be there for you. Practice healing Easier said than done, especially if you are a college student. Everyone will tell you to try generic practices like meditation or yoga, but those are their healing techniques and not yours. You may stumble across a niche that makes you feel better. People may recommend that you play music, but what kind is the key to your healing. Try to play music that reminds you of your loss or the songs you’d listen to in the car growing up. My healing method is to watch skateboarding videos from the 2000s. This takes me back to a time when skateboarding was my life and nothing else
seemed to matter. Dedicating time to yourself during the holidays and finals may seem impossible, but it is incredibly important to take just an hour out of the day for yourself. Build a support system This coincides with reaching out, but having a special someone or multiple people check in on you is crucial, especially during the holidays. This season is bizarre and frightening, but many families and friends seem to be keeping in touch more often. I’ve made the mistake to not reach out or to build a support system, patiently waiting for someone to check in on me. Even if it doesn’t happen, asking doesn’t hurt. Remember to vent when you need to, whether it would be on text or Zoom with no camera on. Bottling emotions may lead to more resentment and depression. Stay away from social media Everything is posted on social media, from decked out Christmas trees, hanging up festive stockings to family photos where everyone seems to love each other but deep down you know they don’t. Stay off social media as much as possible. It seems like everyone wants to post their whole life and holiday rather than spending quality time with their family, so perpetually scrolling through social media for hours could conjure up memories of your lost loved one
ARIANNA GUTIERREZ / DAILY TITAN
for all the wrong reasons. It’s impossible to completely stay off social media, so a technique I’ve tried is to make a burner Instagram account and only follow pages I like. Find your own rituals Recently, my mom started lighting a candle next to my dad’s urn, and at first, I felt weird about it, but over time it brought a sense of comfort. I’m not religious, but it feels as if lighting the candle shows he’s here with me. Other things I do that bring comfort or tears are playing music that reminds me of him, from Led Zeppelin to Steely Dan to Black Sabbath. Also, I don’t recommend this unless you know your limits but, his drink of choice was tequila, so I’ll take one shot each Christmas with my mom. Keep it to one or two, drinking
is not healing. I’ve been down that one-way road and there isn’t a destination at the end. Grief is year-round After the season ends you would recognize whether these tips were effective or not. Yet, once January rolls around, it can feel like you’re back to square one. Don’t let this discourage you, as these tips are meant to be incorporated year-round and not only for the holiday season. Grief doesn’t only emerge during the holidays, it just hits harder. Make sure you determine what helps you cope with the holidays. It’s OK to not be OK during this season. Remember to take care of yourself when practicing new coping skills to overcome the grief that presents itself during the holidays.
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12/10/2020
Take a study break to color!
Flower Mandala coloring page | Free Printable Coloring Pages
Coloring page from: http://www.supercoloring.com
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WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
HOLIDAY 2020
Local Christmas displays to visit during this break Festive lights in Orange County are bringing in the holiday cheer. TIFFANY MALONEY-RAMES Staff Writer
Despite the untraditional nature of the 2020 holiday season, festive lights are appearing in full force all over Orange County. Even during these tough times, nothing warms the heart and brings nostalgia quite like the wonder and twinkle of a holiday light display. Holiday Light Cruises The annual Newport Holiday Boat Parade was canceled due to COVID-19, but the twinkle of holiday lights can still be enjoyed from the water with a holiday light cruise. Davey’s Locker in Newport offers cruises, whale watching and sport fishing year-round. Now through Jan. 3, holiday cruises can be booked online. Prices start at $32 and vary based on the time slot reserved. The 75-minute cruise tours the Newport harbor in all its holiday
glory. Cruise capacity is reduced for safety, and there is an extra $5 charge for popular time slots between 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. A glamorous, twilight boat cruise lit with holiday cheer is the perfect way to enjoy a bit of normalcy this holiday season. Night of Lights Orange County Opened on Dec. 10, the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa is home to the drive-thru “Night of Lights OC’’ event. Tickets and times from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. can be reserved online for $49.99 to $69.99 per vehicle, depending on the day of the week. The drive-thru winter wonderland features 1 million lights and bubble snow. Guests will drive their vehicles through various festive interactive light displays. Themed nights are celebrated as well, including nights for local colleges and universities. Cal State Fullerton is celebrated on Dec. 29. Food and merchandise commemorating the unprecedented 2020 holiday event are available
The house lights on Pine Street ignite the town’s excitement.
Tiffany Maloney-Rames / Daily Titan
but must be purchased in advance at the time of ticket purchase.
College campus are richly decorated with sparkle balls. Some blink colored lights, some are white and others fade from one color to another. One lawn display shows The Grinch with a sleigh full of sparkle balls next to a wooden Cindy Lou Who donning a face mask. The houses are impressively decorated. Some are dripping in lights and holiday cheer and others skip the house lights and lawn displays, yet all trees in the parkway have sparkle balls dangling from its branches. It is a magical atmosphere made warmer by the voices of small children shouting Christmas tidings from passing cars and neighbors sharing warm drinks with each other around a firepit in a driveway. Holiday cheer is readily available in most neighborhoods around Orange County. Displays can be enjoyed from the safety of a vehicle or on a socially distanced walk. Such cheer reignites hope for the coming year and there’s no better way to start the new decade.
Free Holiday Lights Orange County also offers several free options for holiday light enjoyment in various neighborhoods and local communities. Pine Street, near the intersection with Chapman Avenue in Old Towne Orange, gets thematically decked out during the holiday season. While not all homeowners choose to follow the theme, there is no lack of creativity. Past years have had themes like “Winter Wonderland,” but this year’s theme is candy and sweets. Several homeowners adorned their lawns with lit-up candy canes and palm trees that flank either side of the road wrapped in strings of red and white lights to resemble candy canes. A Spanish-style house on the corner of Pine Street and Maple Avenue departed from the candy theme with an ode to the “Wizard of Oz.” A green string of lights spell “Oz” above the home’s entryway and a giant pair of ruby red
slippers sits on the lawn. On the opposite side of the grass is a shed-sized wooden house labeled “2021” resting under an arch of rainbow lights. A witches’ feet stick out from under the house’s porch next to a tombstone that reads “Rip 2020.” Up the street, another house has stuffed clothing in the shape of the intruders from the classic holiday movie “Home Alone.” The mannequins are posing on the patio and hanging from the roof as they attempt to break into the house. As the holiday season progresses, more residents of Pine Street appear to put lights out. This area is worth a couple of visits during the holiday season. One may even see Santa Claus roller skating in the streets nearby with a group of people in Christmas onesies. North Yale Avenue is also well known for its sparkle ball display. These balls of Christmas lights can be handcrafted and strung from trees or used in light displays and lawn decorations. The trees above North Yale Avenue, Nutwood Avenue and several other streets near Fullerton
11 Column: Home but not alone this season
WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
HOLIDAY 2020
Celebrate the holidays virtually with interactive games while abiding by safety guidelines.
everyone to create so that they can enjoy: havea virtual ugly sweater contest, stream a holiday movie, have a socially-distanced holiday party and host a virtual dance party, talent show or a white elephant gift exchange. Some people have no problem being a social butterfly, so why is this any different? Show your family the new dance moves you learned, or see who can decorate their house the best. You can create games for the family to enjoy like virtual charades, virtual jeopardy, virtual family feud and a home scavenger hunt. After learning to make my own virtual jeopardy, this year I plan on creating one for the family so they can join in on the fun. In addition, we might create our own crossword puzzles. This coronavirus has helped me think outside the box and find ways to be productive during this holiday season. While this pandemic has put a wrinkle in my travel arrangements this year and next, being able to connect with family on another level is more than what anyone could ask for. Christmas is the season to be jolly, don’t let all the negatives of the COVID-19 pandemic put you in misery.
TAMEKA POLAND Editor
With Christmas less than two weeks away, now would usually be the time to gather with family and friends and attend every holiday and ugly sweater party. However, this year will be much different when the closest thing to seeing family for many of us will be scheduling a Zoom call. While all sounds fine and dandy, we have to remember that there we are in the midst of a pandemic that has shut down all our previous ideas and plans for the holiday season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to celebrate the holidays is to stay at home with the people you live with in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. While some people host the holidays at their house or others, including myself, tend to travel to our relatives’ houses during the holidays, we will have to find new ways to celebrate this year to keep our loved ones and ourselves safe. The CDC suggests that if we do decide to spend time
CINDY PROAÑO / DAILY TITAN
with loved ones outside of our household, wearing a mask at all times and maintaining at least six feet of distance from those who do not live with us are the best options. From the time we step out of the house to visit loved ones to the time we return home, it is crucial that we have the right safety gear such as masks, sanitizer and gloves on deck as we try hard to avoid touching
our eyes, nose and mouth throughout the day. However, it is also important to follow the CDC’s guidelines to avoid crowds and poorly insulated indoors spaces as much as possible. Although a virtual celebration will never beat an in-person one, remember that the sacrifices now will benefit us, our families and the nation in the long run. Through one of my online
classes, I’ve learned how to communicate and create virtual activities that will get everyone involved, no matter what the age. So far, I’ve used these skills to create a jeopardy game for class, make an escape room online and host several Zoom meetings to celebrate my family’s birthdays so we could still be together. For all you travelers and go-getters like myself, here are a few holiday ideas for
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WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
HOLIDAY 2020
Column: Tuffy brings chocolate bark to the Christmas table A simple and quick holiday dessert to share with the family. NATHAN DAVIS Staff Writer
With the holidays quickly approaching, there is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than festive foods. Candy and sweets not only make a great gift for those you care about, but are also a great way to treat yourself after a busy, stressful year. Chocolate bark is a great option to serve for the holidays because it is simple to make and can be adapted to fit the flavor palette of almost anyone. The list of toppings that compliment this treat are endless, from nuts and pretzels to peppermint candy and caramel. Even those who like white and dark chocolate more than the milk variety can enjoy, as any flavor chocolate will work as the bark. For extra flavor, two types of chocolate can even be mixed together to create a unique taste and a beautiful marbled look to your candy. Since the recipe only takes about 30 to 40 minutes to prepare and harden, it is easy to make for multiple people, making a perfect Christmas present idea if you want to go the homemade route.
Making the dessert is also the perfect family activity you may be looking for. This creates a fun night with your family where each person sprinkles on their own toppings onto their portion of the bark and breaks it off to enjoy during a holiday movie night or while decorating the tree. If you’re looking for a quick recipe to make and surprise that small, COVID-19 safe family gathering, this is it. While this recipe does list a blender or food processor to use for crushing toppings, using your hand or chopping them with a knife will work just fine. For this recipe you will need: 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips for the base of the bark Toppings: A handful of white chocolate chips Red food coloring A handful of peppermint hard candy A bag of Hershey’s Kisses Candy Cane Flavor Candy Tools: Parchment paper Shallow baking sheet Spatula Microwave Microwave-safe bowl
This chocolate bark recipe will satisfy those holiday cravings.
Refrigerator or freezer Blender/Food processor Instructions: Use a blender or food processor to crush up any toppings you will use. Blend the peppermint candy for just a few seconds so that the pieces are chunky and not too powdery. The Hershey’s Kiss candy can be blended for several seconds until it resembles a crumble. Pour the whole 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring the chocolate in between each increment. Continue microwaving and
stirring until all of the chocolate is fully melted. Lay parchment paper down on your baking sheet to keep the chocolate from sticking to the sheet. Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper that is over the baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate into a thin, even layer. While the chocolate is still melted, sprinkle your toppings over the bark so that they will stick onto it. Afterwards place into the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to cool and harden. Before you take the bark out of
Nathan Davis / Daily Titan
the fridge, melt a handful of white chocolate chips in the microwave in 20 second intervals and stir until melted the same way you did with the bark. When the white chocolate is fully melted, mix in a small amount of red food coloring to dye the chocolate red. Now, take the hardened bark out of the refrigerator and drizzle the dyed white chocolate onto it. The drizzled chocolate will cool and harden almost immediately. Now break the bark into multiple pieces of whatever size you would like, plate and enjoy!
15 Annual Fullerton toy drive navigates pandemic WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
A drive-thru experience brings holiday joy through donations. CHLOE LE
Staff Writer
The Fullerton Boys & Girls Club partnered up with the Fullerton Fire Department for this year’s Holiday Toy Drive from now until Dec. 20 in the hopes of safely bringing the community together this holiday season. Alexa Martinez, membership director, and Sofia Pineda, director of School Sites, work alongside each other at the Boys & Girls Club to ensure that things are running smoothly at the center. The Boys & Girls Club is a nonprofit organization serving as an after-school service for kids in the Fullerton area. The organization also helps educate kids with life skills outside of their normal classrooms as it focuses on preparing them for the real world. Along with classes and other activities, events such as the toy drive provide entertainment and fun for the kids and their families. “It is a free event for the community so for a lot of our low income families, they take advantage and it
is maybe the only toy that their child will receive,” Pineda said. “We really try to do our best to prepare and provide an engaging experience.” The toy drive has been around for 43 years and has made a huge impact on families in the Fullerton district. On average, the toy drive collects 700 toys annually, and this year the goal is to increase this number to about 900. Typically the Holiday Toy Drive is a massive event for all families to enjoy with booths, arts and crafts, food, treats and even a Santa Claus on site. However, this year, the toy drive will be a drive-thru experience where kids can still receive toys from the safety of their parents’ cars. “It’s definitely been a ‘learn as you go’ process just because we’re constantly having to check with what the CDC guidelines are, obviously there’s new updates every day,” Pineda said. “So we’re kind of just keeping up with the safety protocols and the cleaning protocols.” In terms of donating toys, some Fullerton fire stations, as well as Patrick’s Music School and Encore Elite Dance and Cheer both
HOLIDAY 2020
Fullerton Firefighters hold toys and bikes in front of a firetruck as part of the city’s drive-thru toy drive. (Fulleton Fire)
off of Commonwealth Ave, are collecting toys for the drive. The main goal for the toy drive is to bring the holidays to families who may not be able to experience Christmas. “This year, I feel like it’s especially important to service our community and
anyone in the surrounding cities. It’s really important to service them and provide this positive experience,” Martinez said. “As we all know, this has been a crazy year and I feel like everyone kind of needs the holidays.” Even with the COVID-19 restrictions, the Boys &
Girls Club will continue to provide for their community the best they can. “For me, it was important that we still continued a tradition that we’ve been doing for 43 years, but it’s important I think to continue these traditions and just provide some type of consistency,” Pineda said.