Aaron Werner and Mitha Naik, of Pittsburgh, pose for a picture outside New Dimension Comics while shopping in Butler, Pa. on Friday, Dec. 24, 2021. "We had a very small gathering last year, and we have a very small gathering this year," said Naik, while talking about comparing last Christmas to now.

Most people adorn an evergreen tree in lights and ornaments or bake cookies in preparation for Santa's visit, but not all Christmases are cut from the same cloth.

With factors ranging from finances to family situations, and, of course, COVID, families are adapting the way they spend their holiday.

“The last two have been quite a bit different, financially and with family,” Butler resident and single father Richard Jay said Friday.

Having spent last Christmas by himself, Jay was happy to spend this one with his two sons, Hunter, 9, and Logan, 8, of whom he gained custody out of foster care.

“This is a better Christmas than last year,” Jay said.

The family didn't have much lined up tradition-wise. They weren't even able to put up a tree. The unconventional sort of celebration is nothing new for Jay, who was born in Moses Lake, Wash., and had migrated through several states after Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980.

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