By Bianca Reyes, Center Spread Editor

The holiday season is upon us, but with it comes the creeping feeling that this year won’t be like the past few years. In the past, holidays in Millbrae were often spent surrounded by friends and family, but with this year’s conditions, the likelihood of being around loved ones seems far-fetched. Nevertheless, our community has done its best in ensuring that we still feel the warmth of the holidays by carrying on with classic traditions along with some new ones as well!

This year, it was decided to continue the age-old Millbrae tradition of lighting up the Christmas tree in front of Millbrae City Hall, only this time, the event was held virtually. Typically, our community gathers around with blankets,a warm cup of hot cocoa, and a plate of cookies to watch the tree lighting, but due to the circumstances that this year presented, we had to resort to a safer alternative: livestreaming!

The livestream was held at 5 P.M. on December 5th on both Zoom and Millbrae Community Television (MCTV). The event consisted of choir performances, a visit from Ol’ Saint Nick himself, with the main event, of course, being the tree lighting. Although some attended the lighting in person, most chose to watch from the comfort and warmth of their own home.

Being held simultaneously just a few steps away was a new event in the Millbrae community: the Lights of Hope Luminara Event! Sponsored by the Millbrae Anti-Racist Coalition and the City of Millbrae, the event was held in order to collect donations for those who have been adversely affected by the pandemic. All proceeds from the event were donated to The Samaritan House San Mateo, which provides food, clothing, medical and housing assistance. 

For every $10 that was donated, five luminarias, which are essentially small paper lanterns that are set on the ground (think: the lanterns scene in Disney’s Tangled!), were lit. Those who donated also had the option to decorate the outer part of the luminaria, as well as the option to light the luminaria in the name of someone else. Seeing the front of City Hall surrounded by paper lanterns truly was a beautiful sight, but knowing the meaning behind each lantern can truly make one feel the holiday spirit of giving.

Even though this year isn’t conventional in the slightest, we hope that our community can still bring you some (socially-distanced) joy. Happy Holidays, from The Thunderbolt to you!