NORFOLK, Va - Christmas Eve is in full swing, with one day until Christmas. People are already in the Christmas spirit at the Botanical Gardens. Many say they are continuing their holiday tradition. Families are still gathering this holiday season and continuing their holiday traditions this year, despite COVID. Many families I spoke to say they are not letting a rise in cases stop them from gathering with their loved ones.
"We come here every year to visit family. We haven’t been down for a while because of COVID so this is our first holiday in the last three years," Jen O’Hare said, a tourist visiting from Philadelphia.
For Jennifer and her son Gabriel, they are visiting family for the first time during the pandemic.
"This is a safe activity because its outside otherwise we’re not really going out with people. Were just going to stay home and spend time with each other," O’Hare said.
"We’re triple vaccinated and we have our masks on when we’re indoors so COVID isn’t changing our lives but we’re taking precautions," one Norfolk couple said.
Going to the Botanical Gardens has been a holiday tradition for one family.
"I, Lauren and my husband would come here every year and drive through. It’s been a long time that we’ve been doing this,"
Elise Bodo said, a Hampton Roads resident.
The family says this is their first year in two years doing a family tradition that COVID kept them from.
"We didn’t do it last year. We’re just trying to be as normal as possible and spend time with our family and keep tradition going," Lauren Bodo said.
The Botanical Gardens has seen 100,000 visitors this month for their light show.
