Christmas 2020 – Taking a Break From Traditions

This year may have thrown a wrench in our holiday plans, we celebrated Christmas as a family of three, and this year little miss was excited to be able to open some gifts. While it was different in so many ways and many of our traditions were put on hold, we did get to enjoy the food ones!

Since the studio is on lockdown for a minimum of two weeks this year (thanks pandemic!), I opted to set up our Christmas tree IN the studio to take advantage of using the strobes for our annual tradition of taking a family photo.

Seeing the awe and determination on her face was such a joy for me, and I am looking forward to being able to watch it all over again next month for her birthday, without the tree of course. In hindsight, capturing beautiful images of little miss interacting with the tree and her gifts proved to be quite the challenge once she ran away happily swishing her dress (that’s a happy face, I promise!) from the ‘good light spot’, so next year, it will be back by the window!

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and not being able to go out and hunt down the perfect ornaments for each other, we put our tradition on hold for this year and had one made with our family portraits from this year instead.

But we did get to keep our food traditions this year! Our usual nicoise on Christmas Eve (this year was fresh tuna, yumm!), our special apple oven pancake that I had every year as a kid, shortbread cookies, and the traditional turkey dinner, just on a smaller scale for the three of us. And of course, egg nog and panettone for all of December!

How did you celebrate Christmas pandemic-style this year? I’d love to live vicariously through your fun experiences too!

stephanie de montigny SdeM handrawn initials ottawa blogger