What A Roller Coaster Of A Year 2020
We made it through!
What a roller coaster of a year 2020 has been! Do we truly know the impact it has had on us all? Covid-19 has affected every individual in numerous ways, be it our career, health, relationship, education, or even our passions like travelling, etc. There have been times when we thought we would never get to live our lives normally again, however gradually when taking certain precautions, we are getting accustomed to the change it has caused us to adopt in our lives. We cannot say that our life is back to normal as it used to be. It is somewhere near where it used to be but still below the word normal. The positivity within us that helped us fight and rise back from this Pandemic has been a real lifesaver.
Family and Friends
As Christmas approaches, a time when we traditionally spend it with family and friends, we now need to consider a new approach to ensure the safety of our family and friends. We should not be bound by fear rather we should be mindful of other’s feelings during this period and respect other’s opinions even if they do not align with our own. No one would want to lose a loved one for the sake of a festive gathering.
Be Responsible
We know that Covid-19 is a serious matter and governments have issued their advice so to avoid the spread things may be different this Christmas. Being a responsible citizen and an accountable family member, we are should consider the safety of our family and friends this Christmas.
1. Shop online
We know things have not been so good lately, but there are still thousands of reasons to live and celebrate. We miss family shopping trips for Christmas, we miss buying gifts for our loved ones. Due to Covid-19 things are going to be different this Christmas. We can still buy those things sitting at home, I know it is not the same as the normal hustle and bustle in the streets drowned by music of Jingle Bells in every shop!
These days there are thousands of options for online shopping. E-Commerce has helped hugely and proved we can still get whatever we want buying online. From grocery to furniture, everything is available online. You can still shop local as businesses have become more tech-savvy as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
2. Smaller Gatherings of people
We have been advised to avoid arranging large gatherings in this new scenario. Avoiding exposure to the maximum number of people is the best approach as advised by safety authorities. We can still celebrate this Christmas by inviting a limited number of guests at dinner, don’t be alone, share time with close relatives or very close friends while following appropriate safety guidelines.
3. Christmas-Eve
We will miss the usual Christmas-Eve festivities and celebrations in our villages, towns and cities. A lot of governments have issued guidelines to work within to allow us to have some movement during this period. That said many Christmas events have been sadly cancelled as a result of these measures.
The best part is we can still celebrate this Christmas-Eve but in a different way. We can sit near the fire with our family, on our warm and cosy couch, watching movies on Netflix, and eating pop-corns. (or read a good book 😊)
4. Midnight Mass
If they happen that is, midnight masses are also going to be very careful in terms of the following safety guidelines. I recently attend one in Monte Cappuccino in Turin, it was a new experience with everyone at 2m distance, strange times. While we may be allowed to attend the nearby local church, we can still feel blessed for being there after facing such a terrible Pandemic. We should feel blessed to be alive, healthy, and praying for another year filled with countless blessings. I know it’s going to be an awkward time, but the positive thing about this all is that we still get to live, celebrate, and pray together.
5. Digital Christmas invitations
Since digital technology has taken over in recent years, we have been thinking of it as a distance creator. But in this Pandemic, it feels more like a blessing to be around your loved ones digitally even when you can’t be with them physically. If we can’t meet our loved ones who live far, we can still send them beautiful digitally made Christmas invitations. This is the best way to express our love for our loved ones while we are far from them.
6. Distant Celebration ideas
Hey! It’s still a time of celebration. One of the biggest celebrations of the year is about to arrive and we cannot compromise on the fun parts. We may be restricted to gather around at one place, but we can do many things that can give us a feeling of being surrounded by our loved ones. That for sure is not going to break the rules of the game!
• Zoom parties
When highly professional meetings can be organized on Zoom, then how come we don’t make use of it for our personal meet-ups? We can send an invite to our loved ones and host an online party along with snacks and drinks.
• Drive-by parties
Are we not allowed to go for an outing with friends? Well, how about taking your car out with a bunch of friends having their own cars too, and making the rule of not getting out of it to meet. While you all drive across the roads, you’ll still have the feeling of them being with you. During the crisis we used to drive by and call to our friends from their balconies. Still nice to see faces.
• Open Air Theatre
Had you planned for a movie night this Christmas? Are you tired of watching Netflix, and looking for a change? Don’t be disappointed, you can still enjoy the movie in your car at an open-air theatre. Rules should still be followed for social distancing.
• Garden Decorations
We decorate our Christmas Trees on the front part of our house every year. If things are going to be different this Christmas we can make it different and amusing at the same time. You can decorate your Christmas tree in the backyard with your family and kids. A bonfire may be another great idea to make it warm and cosy in the cold evening.
7. How to host a meet up by taking precautions:
(I suggest following your local health and government authorities’ guidelines. I am only suggesting some actions below that I have seen in practice.)
Being responsible and reasonable is a blessing. We need to understand the seriousness of the matter by taking precautionary measures this Christmas if we are planning to host a small gathering.
- Give a virtual hug
Adam King a young boy broke our hearts on the Irish entertainment show The Late Late Toy Show, when he gave a virtual hug to presenter Ryan Tubridy.
Welcome hugs are such an amazing feeling to meet someone when they arrive. The firmer you hug, means the more you have been missing that person. The majority of human beings love to express their love and care. But if we can’t hug this time around on Christmas, it doesn’t mean we have no love for one another. It is just a gesture of caring for your loved ones and protecting them.
- Bump elbows
We can bump our elbows instead of hugging, there are always alternatives; we just have to be open to them. After it’s all about our well-being.
- Fist pumps
Hey! No handshakes are allowed this Christmas. You can use the interesting fist-pumping gesture to say hello instead of shaking hands.
- Wear masks
Do you miss the smile of your loved ones? I know wearing masks can be too insensitive to see through for a smile. I’ll give you another way to see them smile. We have spent all our life till now watching lips spread and make an upward curve on the face. But have you ever ignored the lips and look into the eyes of the other person? They smile too. Yes! You will see an indescribable shine in their eyes when they smile.
Wearing masks isn’t that bad after all; we just need to find more ways to feel connected under current restrictions.
- Separate personal stuff
I utterly endorse the idea of being eco-friendly. But having one dinner with your loved ones for the sake of their lives once in a lifetime on disposable plates isn’t a bad idea. Because sharing things like that can potentially be hazardous.
- Wash linen
Don’t forget to wash your linens once your guests have left. Because viruses can still reside on them for days. You can do your part by taking all the necessary actions.
- Use hand disinfectant
Last but not least, dole out a few bottles of disinfectants to your guests so that they can pump and sanitize their hands several times to avoid any potential spread.
