2020 had us locked up in our homes for the better part of the year, but that didn’t stop us from coming closer and facing this tumultuous year together!
When New Year’s Eve came around last year nobody could’ve imagined what the new decade had in store for us. 2020 forced us to lock ourselves at home, stay away from our loved ones and deal with the grief and uncertainty of a global pandemic all by ourselves. Yet, all across the country (and the world), we saw people come together and face the pandemic with a smile on their face, spreading positivity and cheer in times of hardship. If there’s one positive thing to come out of this rather crazy year is that we’re better when we’re together, even when staying physically apart!
1. People sang from their balconies and clapped for healthcare workers
Across the world, people took to their balconies on a nightly basis to clap for the incredible health workers that led us through the pandemic.
2. John Krasinski creating a channel solely dedicated to good news.
When reading bad news seemed to become the new norm, John Krasinski pulled through with what we needed the most — a channel solely dedicated to good news. In his first episode, the actor introduced us to clips of support from Spain, out at sea, the United States and more demostrating an outpouring of love for the world’s healthcare workers. This preceded the wonderful world of isolation tales, including the public helping out their fellow neighbors. The episode closed with an interview with Coco, a cancer survivor from Maine who received a round of applause from her local community. We’re not crying, you are.
3. Ina Garten became our quarantine spirit animal.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
In a video that went viral, the Barefoot Contessa prepared a massive morning Cosmopolitan that is the energy we needed (and still need) to get through social distancing. The iconic cooking host took to Instagram Live to share her favorite tradition with viewers: cocktail hour. Stating, “During these stressful times it’s really important to keep traditions alive. My favorite tradition is the cocktail hour.”
4. Strangers coming together for a breathtaking rendition of “Close to You”
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
The Australian organization Pub Choir has been teaching pubs-full of people who had never sung in their lives before to seamlessly perform three-part-harmony renditions of history’s greatest hits. Well, that’s until coronavirus confined the group and everyone else to their homes. But social distancing didn’t stop Pub Choir’s director Astrid Jorgensen, who’s aptly moved the group from the pub to the couch.
During lockdown, Jorgensen made the decision to launch Couch Choir the at-home version of Pub Choir and get everyone around the world singing. And we’re oh so glad she did because the result is an absolutely gorgeous rendition of Bacharach’s song…which may or may not have us sobbing uncontrollably still.
5. This family brought the best of Disney home.
Staying at home and self-isolating during this pandemic had us all pushing the limits of our imagination trying to find new ways in which to entertain ourselves. A family from Utah seemed to do particularly well at this game. The Thornocks recreated the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at home and not gonna lie, it looked pretty freaking awesome.
6. This other family turned a Broadway classic into a pandemical anthem.
“I can’t get online delivery till September,” “I’m bored of being with you,” “Do I change my underwear?” These are all problems that will resonate with any one of us at some point during the quarantine. The solution? Just singing it out, like this British family from Kent. The Marshes released their own lockdown adaptation of Les Mis’ “One Day More” and honestly we couldn’t relate more!
7. Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium penguins having the time of their lives without visitors around…
During lockdown penguins at the Shedd took little “field trips” to other areas in the aquarium and it was totally adorable!
8. And these two others had a cuddle!
These two adorably fluffy penguins were caught while watching the dazzling city lights and having a cuddle. The photographer? Tobias Baumgaertner who got nominated to the Ocean Photography Community Choice Awards for capturing this incredibly wholesome moment on camera!
9. People brought back their Christmas lights early to spread some much needed holiday cheer.
In an effort to lighten the mood during quarantine, some Americans decided to bring their Christmas lights out of storage particularly early in 2020. Under the hashtag #LightsForLife, Americans shared images of their Christmas lights to remind each other that we’re all in this together despite social distancing.
10. This Youtuber reinvented a classic turning it into a rather entertaining lockdown saga.
The world was in total lockdown but people still managed to get through the pandemic with a bit of humor and Shirley Serban was certainly one of them. The New Zealander gave the famous Do-Re-Mi song a COVID-19 makeover and honestly it’s probably the pandemic PSA we all needed to hear.
11. Georgetown med students started a nationwide effort to gather much needed PPE material.
When lockdown first started, thousands of healthcare workers across the US found themselves in the dire situation of having to fight the coronavirus without being able to take all the necessary precautions, so physicians turned to social media in an effort to get hold of the necessary equipment. A group of third-year med students at Georgetown University heard their plea for help and launched MedSupplyDrive, a cross-country operation to help supply hospitals across America and the UK with the necessary protective equipment like masks, non-latex gloves and bleach.
The project received an overwhelming response, helping the students launch their initiative outside of DC, across the country and even as far as the UK. The effort certainly paid off for the MedSupplyDrive was close to reaching the 1 million PPE items donated earlier in December.
12. An Italian Nonna taught the world how to make homemade pasta…
Nonna Nerina, along with her granddaughter, Chiara, took us through the essentials of pasta-making during lockdown. “Live Stream From Italy With Love” taught us to create mouthwatering ravioli and lasagne for the whole family. Plus, it gave us an arsenal of dishes to impress our friends with!
13. And Antoni Porowski helped us make the most of our quarantined meals!
Let us not forget that this king led us through quarantine with some tips and tricks on how to make the most of whatever was left in the supermarkets after people raided them during lockdown. Inspired by his personal experience of going grocery shopping in times of the coronavirus, the chef put together cooking lessons that help his followers take advantage of those ingredients they’re still able to find at grocery stores. “We’re stuck at home so we might as well still be able to prepare good food, that’s good for us and makes us feel good,” said the chef on his first Quar Eye episode.
Want to review more heartwarming moments of 2020, here are 10 Wholesome Things That Happened In Washington DC In 2020
[Featured image: Tobias Baumgaertner via Ocean Photography Awards]