The October 2020 issue of Connections featured stories of “Homebound Holidays” from Issaquah Highlands residents who shared how they planned to celebrate various fall holidays while facing the challenges and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, we asked the same residents for an update on their holiday traditions and plans.
In October 2020, Manchester Court resident Larissa Kolasinski wrote about celebrating her Germanic heritage in “Homebound Holidays: German Festival Fun in the Comfort of Home.” Larissa provides an update below.
Traditional Oktoberfest festivals, large multi-day Germanic folk festivals, could not go on in 2020 because of the pandemic, and there was less motivation to break out your best Bavarian dirndl or lederhosen.
Last year, I opted to celebrate Oktoberfest from my kitchen while tasting German brews and sausages. Since I could not go to a large festival in Seattle to purchase these items, I decided to secure them locally. I found imported German sausages from a small family-owned deli; they were some of the best I’ve had, despite being home-cooked. I don’t think I ever would have discovered this small local business if I wasn’t looking for traditional German foods to cook at home. I also bought different types of to-go growlers of lagers, a German-style beer, from local breweries.
While I look forward to attending Oktoberfest festivals soon, I plan to continue some of my new traditions. I will purchase more growlers from local breweries because I think beer tastes better on draft, and I now know a local business where I can find traditional European food.
Larissa is a Manchester Court resident.
Click here to read all stories in the “Homebound Holidays” series >>
