In looking back at last year’s December post Coping with Loneliness During the Holidays I realized that many of the pluses of staying at home for the holidays - Have breakfast, lunch, dinner in bed, in front of the TV, standing at a kitchen counter or where ever you’ll most enjoy it; watch favorite TV shows, movies, specials etc.; take a long shower or hot soak; Wear pajamas all day-are actually things people have been doing thanks to Covid lock downs and are now more than over it.
Not surprising
we have to rethink the holidays as many of us will be spending them in ways we
hadn’t planned on. Note some people do suffer from seasonal affective disorder
(SAD) but there are ways to deal with it. Check out Coping with time change.
So how to make the holidays fun, joyous, affordable, stress less and safe? That’s a tall order and the CDC’s Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings isn’t exactly inspiring
That said, we gotta do our due diligence and recap the basics.
Stay put if you have a chronic disease, underlying illness, if you are over 60 years of age, have been diagnosed with Covid, have symptoms of it, been exposed to someone who has it, waiting for test results and/or you live or work with someone at increased risk.
If you must travel, you will need to do the following:
• Quarantine for 14 days (or quarantine for seven days, and get a PCR Covid test) and note that quarantine means staying at home and not leaving unless it’s for an emergency or medical appointment.
• Wear a mask and social distance (6 feet)
• Get a flu shot
• Avoid large gatherings (more than 10 people) and know the people who will be present.
If you host or attend an event: Every state has its own set of guidelines, but the general recommendations are holding outside events, for less than 10 people, where everyone social distances by 6 feet, wears a mask unless eating (no handshaking, hugs or close contact) with lots of hand washing and sanitizing. No caroling, loud talking or shouting. In short, best to share the holidays indoors with those in your household.
Be clear with yourself, family and friends about expectations. What is it that you need during this time? What about them? Can you come to some agreements?
You can totally grinch out and tell your kids and family that Santa got Covid and
a) Died
b) Is in the hospital
c) In the hospital on a ventilator
d) Had it last spring and is a “long hauler” and unable to make deliveries this year
Regardless of the option you choose, having a sense of humor, be it on the dark side some time, can make things a lot easier.
Re imagining the holidays has pluses. It could actually be less stressful because you can avoid the annual holiday brawl over things like gift giving, obligatory holiday meals, crowded stores, over eating, or excess house cleaning. You name what you really don’t enjoy about the holidays and blame it on Covid. Talk about an easy out that no one can fault you for.
Below are ideas to consider, which I’ll be adding to as the days go by
• If you were
part of holiday dinners where everybody contributed a dish, instead of gathering
at someone’s house, each person makes their “dish” and distributes them the day before or the morning of. A
friend of mine has agreed to meet with other families where they will do the
hand offs outside on Thanksgiving, wearing masks and social distancing. At an
appointed time, have your meal. While you can have a zoom holiday feast from
start to finish or you can just share drinks, appetizers etc. Note that the CDC
is not a fan of potlucks though they do say, Currently, there is no evidence to suggest
that handling food or eating is associated with directly spreading COVID-19.
Pot
lucks can be problematic for some people, particularly if you have food
allergies, so if Aunt Sally’s casseroles leave you with a yucky tummy,
just don’t eat it. She'll never know.
• Zoom, Face Time and other social media outlets provide ways to be connected and safe. When my oldest son spent his first Christmas away from home, we Face timed dinner and played “Trivial Pursuits.” Since he was working from home, we’d have periodic waits as he dealt with business, but it’s a Christmas we remember with fondness.
• One of my sons went to college in France and thanks to Face Time, we were given an incredible tour of Paris decked out for the holidays. In turn, he missed snow, so we provided him with views of a Vermont winter.
• Decorate to make your home feel festive. This is a good time to dig into your DIY tool kit. Think of a theme, make and collect items. Visit your local thrift store. Check out Pinterest. Who is going to know if you decorate early and leave it up until there is a vaccine. Make your home as appealing as possible.
• Puzzles can be relaxing. Set one up so it can be worked on over days or even weeks.
• Make a 2020 ornament. Could make a fun gift for family and friends. You can make them with a salt dough recipe, or reconfigure something-e.g. whistles can easily be repainted to look like toilet paper rolls.
• Revisit some of the classic holiday books and movies.
• Invest in some good winter weather gear so you can get outside for a bonfire, a walk in the snow, and enjoy a winter wonder land.
• Make your own holiday cards. Looking for ideas, check out 20 Ideas for What to Write in Holiday Cards During Covid-19.
• Doing something for others is always helpful. That can take many forms depending on your time and talent-e.g. sew holiday masks; make a pot of soup and share; if you are dividing plants, repot some for others; get involved in helping local charities, condition specific organizations; oh and if you live where it snows, surprising your neighbors by cleaning their sidewalk or their car off is very welcome.
• Wearing my historian hat, if you haven’t been keeping a journal, start now. When restrictions are lifted, make a copy and share it with your local historical society, along with special signs and other Covid related items. This will be very appreciated by future generations, to say nothing of family members.
Please share your ideas for creating new and different holidays in the comment section.
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