HONOLULU (KHON2) — Thanksgiving was very different for many this year. The pandemic put a damper on gatherings, but the spirit of the holiday was alive and well.
Thanksgiving is normally a day filled with family gatherings and lots of food. While some things did change, the demand for a good food was not one of them.
The line at Lee’s Bakery, a popular spot for Thanksgiving pies, stretched for blocks.
Nuuanu resident Sharon Pang goes to Lee’s every year for her Thanksgiving pies. She said the line is always long, but it took much longer than it usually does.
“I was there at 7:15 and didn’t get through until 11:50. I got five pies for my family’s different households: two pumpkin and three custard pies,” Pang said.
She said their pies are the creamiest, some of the best in town.
The line to pick up pre-ordered Thanksgiving meals at Zippy’s was also long. Some said they waited for nearly an hour to get their order in.
Others opted to spend their morning relaxing outdoors.
Ala Moana Beach and Kailua Beach were fairly quiet, but some families were enjoying the ocean and getting some fresh air.
Waikiki Beach was much more crowded. The warm weather drew out many visitors to enjoy the sun.
Officials have been urging residents to limit social gatherings to members of the same household and no more than five people, and many heeded the warning.
Kailua resident Danny Casler said he and his wife changed their plans quite a bit this year.
“Normally we’d be up on the North Shore or in Wahiawa with her family and there’d probably be about 30 to 40 of us. And when we would come back here, we would go from a friend’s house to friend’s parents house, and usually make around five stops for Thanksgiving.”
Due to COVID-19, Casler said they are celebrating within their immediate family bubble.
“We want to be responsible and respectable to people outside in the community, and hopefully work as a team to curb the spread,” Casler explained.
Though the pandemic put a damper on holiday celebrations, in some ways, Casler said it highlighted the things that matter most.
“It was one of those times where we got to really sit back and look around and see who we are and where we are, and be grateful that we have our health and our life and a roof over our head and food in our stomach.”
