The 68-year-old chose the latter and joined more than 500 people in the Dunedin Town Hall for the annual Dunedin Community Christmas Dinner.
"I’ve got two brothers, but I’m not spending Christmas Day with them because one’s had a stroke and the other is off on holiday with his family.
"There’s no point in sitting around the home. I like to get out.
"So I’ve come here to enjoy the Christmas spirit.
"I’m very excited to be singing carols and getting to know new people. There’s so much going on. The place is bubbling."
She said it was a revitalising experience.
Acts of Kindness Charitable Trust trustees and event co-ordinators Grant and Anne Hardy said they were surprised to see so many from the elderly community turn up for the meal.
Bookings had been slow to start.
"As of two weeks ago, our numbers were quite low compared to what they have been in previous years," Mrs Hardy said.
"Although Covid has gone, some of the fear remains and we were wondering if that would cause less senior people to turn up. But it hasn’t.
"There’s a lot of new faces this year. I’ve no idea why.
"We’re just pleased that we can hold a function like this, this year. So many other countries can’t at the moment."
Mr Hardy said it had been a big risk running the event because the team had had to raise funds for it right in the middle of the Covid-19 lockdown.
"People probably thought we were insane to do that, but we had to just push ahead with the expectation that it would go ahead."
He said it was important the event went ahead because it provided a free meal and companionship on Christmas Day for those who were lonely, without family or struggling financially.
The event was one of several held across the city yesterday.
The Reed family continued the tradition of holding a free community Christmas lunch at the St Clair Bowling Club.
The club is next door to their home, and the tradition was started by the previous owners of their house, Sandra and Trevor Mason.
There was also a free community Christmas barbecue lunch at the East Taieri Church, which was organised by the Saddle Hill Foundation.
