“We have a tradition – sandwiches with turkey, stuffing and gravy”

What does Christmas look like in the homes of some of the people who attended the Parenting in My Shoes Series in The Irish Times over the past year? Can you still enjoy a Christmas that looks very different from the pre-pandemic festive seasons of yesteryear? And what could 2022 hold in store for us?

“It has been two strange years,” said Michelle O’Neill, Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, who is also Deputy Chairman of Sinn Féin. “Last year we all had a very different Christmas and this year I think we are all hoping we can have our family and friends again. This is certainly my hope, even though we are still in a difficult situation in terms of a pandemic.

“I love Christmas. For me it is really a family matter. I have always been the chef of our house and I have always cooked for all my family,” she says, adding that she hopes that his mother, his uncle and his brother’s family will join them for Christmas, if the situation permits. Christmas, home from America.

“I can’t wait to take time, reconnect and feed the family. I am a big believer in bringing people together around the dinner table. It’s a great way to talk and catch up.

Even if they’re adults now, it doesn’t matter. They are still my babies. They always receive Christmas presents under the tree. I am very traditional in terms of Christmas

O’Neill says we all wished Christmas would seem more normal. “We’re all desperate for better times and we’re all desperate to get back to the way we used to do things. Unfortunately this is not the case and recent developments have obviously meant that we are all now back in the space where people are anxious again, people are concerned.

“It is a particularly difficult time, especially for those who are more vulnerable, especially for those who may be living alone. At Christmas time, we always pay attention to these people, but given the past two years, what we’ve been through, then you pay even more attention this year.

Even though O’Neill’s children are now adults and her daughter was recently married, she still hangs up their stockings every Christmas. “Even if they’re adults now, it doesn’t matter. They are still my babies. They always receive Christmas presents under the tree. I am very traditional in terms of Christmas. I like to keep things just traditional.

As for O’Neill herself, her ideal Christmas present would be “a few days off”.

No matter how many years your parents have passed, you always miss them, especially on important family occasions or at special times of the year, especially Christmas.

Michelle hopes to complete the job on December 23, although she says it depends on what’s going on at the time. But Christmas at the O’Neills is always a very busy time. “My typical Christmas Eve was I’d get up early and cook all day, cook all day, and the table was set and when everything was done, we would sit down. We have a tradition in our house – turkey sandwiches, stuffing and gravy, ”she laughs and compares it to the episode of Friends with Ross’s sandwich.

When it comes to missing loved ones, O’Neill says she always visits her father’s grave and brings flowers on Christmas and they talk about him and share memories of previous Christmases. “We miss him and no matter how many years your parents were, you always miss them, especially on special family occasions or at special times of the year, especially at Christmas. You remember them, but you make them there in terms of talking about them, stories about them, stories of good times you had.

As for 2022, O’Neill says she hopes for a “more promising 2022.” The one where we start to come out of this pandemic, let’s start to rebuild ”.

“It’s going to be a busy year,” she said. “There will be elections in the North. A very important election coming up in May, so that will be my focus on the political front. We have a lot of work to do to try to get out of the pandemic and towards better times. There have been a lot of inequalities that have come to light as a result of the pandemic. So I want to work hard to try to support families, support workers to make sure they go through better times. “

For his own family and children, O’Neill says that “health and happiness are all you can wish for.”

Having had Covid-19 herself in 2021, O’Neill believes it made her realize how quickly Covid can turn people’s lives upside down. “So many families have been devastated because of Covid, so I think we’re all a little more grateful, as a people … for what we have.”

Drawing a positive assessment from the past two years, Michelle said that “the way that communities have come together to support people over the past two years has been absolutely amazing. There is just this vibrant community spirit that supports those who need it most.

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