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This has been a better holiday season

December 14th, 2021 by Kenneth Abrahams

This year marks the second holiday season in a pandemic world. It is better than 2020, but still not great.

In the last year, there have been fluctuations with the virus and the vaccines have brought a lot of hope, but the new variant Omicron has made people nervous yet again. As we saw the covid stats start to drop several months ago, many corporations decided it was time to bring back some holiday traditions and events that had been suspended, for good reason, in 2020. As a company, we were eager to get back into the holiday spirit and celebrate some of the events that have been a large part of our November and Decembers for years. Slowly, our calendar began to fill. Then came Omicron, apprehension, and additional CDC and WHO warnings, and with it some of those events cancelled or went virtual again.

For those of us that have done these events year after year, it is about much more than money. Many of our clients are like family and these events are part of how we celebrate each year. There is something fun about walking into the same locations we have worked year after year and seeing familiar faces. There are events that, before we set foot on the property, we know how the room will be decorated, we can recite the menu by heart, and we will be greeted by the same people every year. We have had the pleasure of seeing some of the children that are present go from infants to toddlers, to high school students and then off to college. At times, we have had some of these same kids go from attending the event to helping their moms or grandma’s plan and set up the events. They have gone from sitting on Santa’s lap to helping Santa with the gifts.

Some of those events happened this year and it has been great to see. COVID be damned, it was full steam ahead. We walked into some of those same venues and hugs, or fist bumps were exchanged. Photographs were taken of the same folks we had taken a few years ago but missed last year. There was little talk of COVID and more talk of how families were doing and how people were holding up. Groups that always sat together in the past did so this year, and it was as if 2020 never happened. They laughed, drank, joked, and danced. Events that people often dressed casually had more suits, jackets and ties, and evening gowns than they had previously. It was as if people were going to make the most of this year because we have no clue what the future will bring. Smiles on people’s faces as they took photos were genuine and warm. They seemed anxious to document this moment in time and to truly celebrate the moment.

That being said, some of my favorite events were on hiatus again this year. Often during this season, many of our staff will work 3 – 5 jobs between Friday and Sunday. At times, breaking down at one location with barely enough time to get to your second job of the day. This year, the schedule has been lighter, the pace less frenetic. Over the course of this season there are times when I find myself wondering how certain clients are doing and will I ever see them again. Some of our clients are nearing retirement and if they have an event next year will they be there? Will some of the kids that I have photographed for years be too old for that breakfast with Santa if it returns in 2022? Will some of the kids that have started helping us over the last few years move on by next December? We already know that at least one venue we used for well over a decade has closed, so will the new venue feel as familiar, as homey? Hopefully, 2022 will be even better than 2021 and I will get answers to some of those questions.

For the most part, colleges in 2021 have felt a lot more like 2019. With many colleges and universities boasting vaccination rates of 90% or higher, they have had a lot of their traditional holiday events this year. Regardless of vaccination rates, many schools are testing students every week, if not more. At one school, to participate you had to not only show your event pass, but also their COVID test tracker app, with a negative test result. Some schools have continued to do outdoor events into December to keep their populations as safe as possible. Just for the record, most of what we do can’t be done outdoors in sub 45-degree weather. Even with high vaccination rates, indoor events, at many locations, had a mask mandate for an extra layer of safety.

Attendance at these events often exceeded expectations of those planning these gatherings. One event that I worked, the advisor said that they would be happy with 50 people and over the moon excited with 100. They were both shocked and surprised when they hit the 200 mark. Some of the events were done the same way they had been done for years, while other events were changed to either get rid of negative elements or to embrace new ideas. It was great to be back on campuses celebrating some of those wonderful events again this year.

Yes, 2021 ha been better than 2020 but we are not back 100%. Perhaps, in honor of the holidays, I should put my negative Ebenezer Scrooge feelings in the closet and trot out a sunnier disposition. Let’s face it, that is just not me.

Where we are today, Coronavirus wise, is where we may be for a long time. Similar to the flu, this persistent little bug is going to do whatever it can to survive. As we produce new vaccines, it will continue to mutate to stay alive. That being said, there are safe ways to celebrate, and we just need to figure those out. This year has given us a taste of what a return to better days feels like and I hope 2022 will build on that. We at FUN Enterprises, Inc. appreciate all of you that have continued to trust us to work on these events and help all of you create great memories. Here is to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2022.

About this Blog

Over the years, marketing folks have been critical of our blog; it should have more info about the company, it should be driving people to the website. Your blog needs to drive sales. Our blog is here to let people know who we are as people. It is to let you understand our values, what is important to us and to hopefully make you think.

Most of the articles are written by Ken Abrahams and he can be reached at [email protected]. To find out more about the company go to our website www.funent.com you can also go to this link to sign up for our newsletter which comes out about 6 times a year https://funent.com/subscribe-to-the-funny-pages/.  Our newsletter will tell you more about the company and the products and services we offer as well as some games, things to do and the occasional cooking tip.