Changing holiday traditions not all bad

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/11/2020 (1932 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The holidays are inching closer and closer — and COVID-19 numbers are spiking higher and higher. The realization that all our holiday plans are going to be different this year stings. For me, letting go of birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving and Halloween seemed easier than letting go of Christmas.

The season is steeped in tradition and so many warm memories that, year after year I try to recreate with my own kids.

We make cookies, and venture out to look at lights. We elbow our way through a crowded mall at least once so the kids get a picture with Santa. We gather with family we often only see once or twice a year, sharing food and conversation without fears of transmitting or getting an illness. One of my all-time favourite activities is watching my kids perform at their school holiday shows,

I feel a little sad, because I enjoy my traditions so much that I don’t want them to change. However, the changes are inevitable and I need to be open to that. All of us do.

I keep reminding myself: just because it’s going to be different doesn’t mean it’s going to be bad. In fact, I think some of our greatest life experiences have been born out of accidental, spontaneous circumstances.

We can still salvage some of our traditions and we have a chance to make new ones. If Halloween was any indication of what can happen over the holiday season, we may even be in for a better time than we expect.

I keep reminding myself: just because it’s going to be different doesn’t mean it’s going to be bad.

Hear me out.

This Halloween, many opted out of taking their kids trick-or-treating because the risk didn’t seem worth it. It felt bad to have to take another thing away from our kids.

When I posed the question on Twitter, asking why people were so upset about having to change or cancel Halloween because of the pandemic, I learned it’s special holiday for a lot of folks — one that really feels inclusive and community-minded.

I can appreciate that.

However, when the day rolled around, something pretty special started to happen. Many kids still got to dress up and eat lots of candy. Parents got creative and worked hard at finding alternative activities. Neighbours and friends dropped off treats on the steps of kids they knew, or left candy out for those who opted to trick-or-treat.

It was as though everyone tried really hard to make the best of the situation, not only for themselves but for anyone they could reach with their kindness.

Scrolling through social media that night, I saw post after post from parents sharing pictures of their costumed kids, captioned with how they redefined Halloween this year.

It wasn’t the night any of us wanted or expected, but it became a night nobody will soon forget.

[Halloween] wasn’t the night any of us wanted or expected, but it became a night nobody will soon forget.

Trying times can bring out the best in people. We’ve seen that over and over again during this pandemic. My hope is that the winter holidays can be the same, filled with goodness and kindness and a willingness to adapt.

I know this season can be particularly hard for a number of reasons. I also understand that I am in position of privilege, because I don’t share a lot of the same struggles that some people face during the holidays. However, I do recognize that I can try sprinkle some joy throughout the season.

I have the means to donate a bit of money to the Christmas Cheer Board, and to the hamper drive one of my Twitter friends has organized. I am able to make small shifts to support as many local businesses as I can.

I won’t see my family in person for Christmas dinner, but we’ll take advantage of FaceTime and video chats. I will try my hardest to make sure the people in my life know that even though we’re not together, they are not forgotten.

Most of all, I am going to try really hard to change my perspective, so that I don’t look at this Christmas as a disappointment, but as an opportunity to celebrate a different way.

shelka79@hotmail.com

@ShelleyACook