Gearing Up for the Holidays: How will YOU celebrate?

If you’re like most people you have holiday traditions going back as far as you can remember. Maybe it was the yearly visit from Grandma around Thanksgiving, or everyone going out to the movies on Christmas night. You may have the usual string of holiday get-togethers where you talk to family and friends you haven’t seen much during the year, or a church service you always attend. Our traditions are part of what makes us who we are. They form the memories we keep all our lives. It should come as no surprise that the holidays might be a little different this year. Like it or not, Covid-19 is here to stay for a while. 

In the next part of our series on Gearing Up for the Holidays we will look at what those changes might mean. The frustrating thing about the virus and the holidays is that in order to slow the spread we’re supposed to social distance, and the holidays are the time of year we most want to spend with family and friends. Fortunately, technology provides for some great virus-free substitutions. Virtual get-togethers are all the rage, and with a little creativity you can still have fun with those you hold dear. Just because you’re not in the same room doesn’t mean you can’t have meaningful interaction. Rather than have the grandparents make their annual trek up from Florida, share your life with them over the internet. Do you meet with friends at the same bar every year for a Christmas drink? Crank up some music, get creative with the backgrounds and raise a glass in the comfort and safety of your living room. If the holidays just wouldn’t be the same without Cousin Edna’s cherry cobbler, why not swap recipes so you can recreate it? That way even if Edna can’t make it, her famous cherry cobbler can. Has the kids’ school Christmas play been canceled? Rather than being sad and glumly watching whatever you can find on TV, act it out at home. The list goes on. 

Amidst the cloud of uncertainty this year, there is actually a silver lining. The holidays may be fun, but they’re also stressful. If you’re hosting, you have the extra cleaning to get the house ready for your holiday guests, including that one particular relative that regularly checks behind the refrigerator for dust. If you’re visiting, you have the expense and hassle of packing and unpacking, not to mention holiday traffic. A simpler, quieter holiday season may not be what you have in mind, but when everything is said and done you might find yourself a lot more relaxed and a little less light in the wallet. 

There’s no doubt that things have changed this year. Should you give up your traditions? You don’t necessarily have to, though you may have to modify them a little. There’s always a bright side. Remember with change comes a chance to start new traditions.