Even without the pandemic, ‘normal’ has shifted for the Corderos Tanya Marun stands for a portrait at her apartment complex in Tempe, Ariz. Marun typically attends a large family gathering at her aunt’s home in Texas for Christmas. ((Caitlin O Hara for The Washington Post)) Rachael Allen
Dec. 22, 2020
Tanya Marun, 35, has celebrated Christmas at her cousin Mitzy Cordero’s house in Dallas for as long as she can remember. “Have you eaten?” Tanya’s aunts always ask the moment someone walks through the door. Lights twinkle outside the house; inside, garland lines the fireplace and color-coordinated ornaments hang from the Christmas tree. Tables are crammed into the living room for dinner, awaiting the 25 members of the extended Cordero family. The place is always loud with laughter.
President Donald Trump was impeached, but acquitted at the beginning of 2020. As the year closed, he lost the presidential race to Joe Biden. The former vice president was last candidate standing in a record field that saw more than 25 Democrats run for the nomination including Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and surprise newcomer Pete Buttigieg.
These are just a few highlights of the events that took place throughout this year.
A photograph is known to be worth a thousand words, so here’s a look back at the photos that shaped 2020.
January 2020
Credit: AP
Debris is seen from a plane crash on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2019. A Ukrainian airplane carrying at least 170 people crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s main airport, killing all onboard, state TV reported. (AP Photos/Mohammad Nasiri)
Dec. 21, 2020 10:00 am ET
Around lunchtime on a bright sunny Tuesday the week before Christmas, there was plenty of space to spread out and take selfies in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
âThereâs not as many people as there normally are,â said Alexandra Francisco, a 24-year-old nurse and emergency medical technician from Hawley, Pa. âIt feels weird.â
Ms. Francisco and Ian Andrews, a 25-year-old firefighter and paramedic, took a day trip to New York to see the tree and destress from their jobs as first responders during the coronavirus pandemic. The couple said that while it was nice seeing the Christmas tree without bumping shoulders with other visitors, they nevertheless missed the crowds.
(Photo : Carrot the Magic Deer Facebook Page)
A friendly deer named Carrot has been making waves online after it was photographed by a wildlife photographer based in Ontario to have survived an arrow shot through the head.
On December 9, Carver was surprised to see her husband crying after finding the deer in the yard. Carrot was shot through the head with an arrow and miraculously survived the blow.
From the angle that the arrow was shot, it was likely that the deer was shot from a window or deck, which Carver thinks is malicious, similar to an act of animal cruelty.
Sparkle and Shine: America’s 7 Best Christmas Cities
It’s the most wonderful time of the year even if the year hasn’t been so wonderful.
With gatherings limited and international travel restricted (you’re probably unlikely to visit those Christmas markets in Europe, this December), everyone’s looking for a safe way to celebrate the joy of the holidays domestically. Fortunately, a number of places are putting on a show, bringing all the feels of the festive season.
From small-town sparkle to big city lights, here are some of America’s best places to celebrate the holidays this year.