Much of what brings families and loved ones together are special occasions and holidays. Personal milestones such as weddings, baptisms, birthdays, graduations, and promotions are all celebrated with loved ones. Holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas are celebrated worldwide.
As people, these celebrations help bring meaning to our lives not just for what they symbolize but also for allowing us to be with our families and those dear to us.
Celebrating in a Pandemic
However, as the coronavirus threat still looms over us, people have started calling off celebrations arguing that there’s no reason to celebrate in light of what’s happening globally.
We have seen a lot of events postponed or canceled. Others found ingenious ways to still celebrate and keep their family traditions by adapting to the present climate. With physical distancing in place, we have resorted to celebrating virtually — over Zoom or Messenger — or have gathered together albeit in smaller groups while maintaining a safe distance between each other.
While the global health crisis did take out the level of intimacy in such gatherings, we should still be thankful that we are given another chance to celebrate life, family, tradition, and success even under slightly unusual circumstances. Sure, we can’t give out hugs and kisses to our loved ones but being surrounded by them (even virtually) and seeing that they’re all healthy and safe are still great reasons to celebrate.
Taking the Merry out of Christmas
With the limitations on the way we do events and celebrations, and while there are still no surefire ways to treat and cure COVID-19, it seems like the remaining holidays of the year will also be greatly affected, much like the ones in spring and summer.
In a recent survey conducted by Chrismas.co.uk where they talked to about 3,000 Americans and Brits, they found that 51% of Americans are most likely to not spend Christmas with their families. 59% of the Brits who participated in the survey felt the same way.
This means that while the holidays won’t be called off, people are anticipating fewer events and gatherings. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s celebrations are all put on hold with some governments and localities choosing to play things by ear instead of making a premature announcement confirming the celebrations like the case of Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market.
Businesses that thrive on holiday celebrations such as those who make holiday decors and use an automatic hot foil stamping machine to enhance those faux gold decors, will not be as profitably successful this year. Events organizers and suppliers, who experienced a dwindling in the amount of work that came in this year, are bracing themselves for an equally dismal holiday season.
Some venues, such as the Telford Steam Railway who hosts an annual Polar Express service for families to enjoy, have already canceled this year. Christmas grottos are more likely to be held at an outdoor stage or garden to allow people to maintain a good distance between each other and still celebrate the magic of the season.
At this point, many of us are still uncertain about how things will end up when Christmas comes. It is wise and prudent to exercise caution for you and your family’s safety. Just because you can’t celebrate it lavishly doesn’t mean its essence is no longer there. Perhaps now is a great time to revisit our values and see what makes these celebrations special and meaningful to us. As long as we have our families and our good health, there is a lot of things to celebrate and be thankful for.
