Photo by Barry Plott from Pexels
The holiday season is here, and it’s important to remember what makes it so unique.
As the holiday season comes around this year, the usual cheer and laughter that accompanies it has taken on a different twist. All our familiar family Christmas activities are going to need some redirection. We’re all slowly yet surely coming to terms to realize that the pandemic will change the way we look forward to the holidays and the new year.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate and bask in the joy, love, and togetherness that the holidays bring. As my loved ones prepare for the upcoming Christmas season, remembering all the beautiful memories that we’ve shared in the past seasons helps us stay cheerful and hopeful that the spirit of Christmas will find a new way to light our homes this year too.
Here are some of my favorite holiday things that I’m looking forward to reexperiencing this year as well.
Bonding over holiday music, games, and movies
My favorite holiday music, which everyone must have heard at least a couple of hundred times over the years, is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Regardless of how many times we’ve played it or heard it playing on the radio, at the mall, or in the background of numerous videos on social media, there isn’t a feeling of Christmas until that song makes a comeback every year.
As always, we watch Miracle on 34th Street with the Christmas tree all decorated in the background and drink delicious hot chocolate in our favorite Christmas mugs. Everyone likes to get together and recite the lines, word-for-word, because we’ve all memorized the entire movie — and all the expressions.
Another essential holiday activity is playing a game of Christmas trivia with the entire family. We’d like to believe that it’s a well-organized game and everyone follows the rules. Instead, by the middle of the game, everyone’s throwing in their questions and showing off the expansive knowledge of Frosty the Snowman or the different ways of saying “Merry Christmas” in other languages.
Doorbells ringing as excited people wait to reunite
After months of social distancing, relatives, and friends who’ve been carefully and patiently awaiting the holidays ring each other’s doorbells as we wait to see a familiar face on the other side. An added touch of gratitude will accompany the excitement and usual Christmas cheer that we’re finally able to meet our loved ones again.
With many of us explicitly monitoring our interactions and staying as safe as possible, the gift of getting to see the faces of our loved ones once again is perhaps the greatest gift that this Christmas season could bring.
If not, many have scheduled Zoom calls to share each other’s joy despite the circumstances that the pandemic has brought on. A collective, virtual countdown to New Year’s or sending photos of the exceptional food we made is an excellent way of being together in spirit while being physically apart.
The sound of sleighbells and Santa’s new sleigh
Santa’s sleigh is going to have a new look this time around, that’s for sure. We wouldn’t be surprised if he’s decided to follow the CDC guidelines and has decked his sleigh with plexiglass and filled it with sanitizers and masks to keep us safe as he delivers presents across the world.
It would only seem natural if, following the necessary precautions, the reindeer stand six feet apart as they pull the sleigh under the watchful eye of Rudolph. Who knows, maybe Mrs Clause will treat the elves for all the safety measures and careful packaging they were responsible for this year by making them some of her famous Schnitzel with Noodles.
When you leave cookies and milk out this year, make sure you place a bottle of hand sanitizer and extra masks — in case Santa loses his as he makes his way around.
New Year’s resolutions
Finally, the resolutions we make for the upcoming year will be nothing like the resolutions we’ve made before.
After all that we’ve had to go through, collectively in 2020, there aren’t going to be many people writing “get rich” or “get my own house” as their resolutions. We now realize the importance of genuine relationships, being more aware of our inner worlds, and pursuing things that make us happy.
Perhaps the most important resolution will be gratitude, giving thanks for things we once took for granted. We now have proof it is the little things that make a big difference. Hugs welcomed.
Final thoughts
The magic of the holiday season is that it always finds a way to lift our spirits and rejuvenate us. This year, after months of being away from those we find joy and happiness in and from having to avoid the activities we enjoyed the most, the holidays will feel much more unique and worth-cherishing than ever before.
Of course, this doesn’t mean we forget everything we’ve done to keep our friends, family, and ourselves safe so far. It’s best if we meet those who’ve been staying safe and social distancing for a while and avoid large groups.
Using all the new online platforms to stay connected and share the Christmas spirit might be a more generous act of love than meeting in person — especially if we have loved ones that are ill or are susceptible to falling sick.
“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas Day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.”
– Andy Rooney
Happy Holidays! #nbholidaycheer
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