It’s Time to Capture Holiday Magic

Even during the pandemic

Introduction

Pure happiness is beginning to fill our hearts as we anticipate the fun that accompanies the holiday season. It is because absolute joy surrounds us this time of the year.

The popular heartwarming Christmas classic sung by Andy Williams adds warmth to the chilly air as soon as we hear the melody,

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”.

A delicious mug of hot chocolate filled to the brim and topped of with marshmallows is typically enjoyed as delicate Christmas cookies are decorated with precision. Beautiful twinkling holiday lights brightly shine as gifts are neatly wrapped with festive accents added. Children use their imagination to construct pretty decorations that are carefully hung on the Christmas tree.

Sadly, things are becoming different this year. While the sights, sounds, and smells that alert our senses as we anticipate the excitement each day brings, this holiday season just won’t be the same.

Large family gatherings exploding with good food and drinks, children running here and there, and popular Christmas tunes blasting in the background will be somewhat of a forgotten memory. Celebrations like annual parades and light up night events will be cancelled. All the holiday festivities typically held at amusement parks will not take place because these places will keep their doors closed. Grab bag parties at work that feature the infamous ugly sweater contest of the past will become a distant memory, too.

As the coronavirus continues to grow, a lot of our typical holiday fun will cease because we must keep our children, elderly parents, loved ones, and ourselves safe. However, all the tragedies associated with the pandemic that will overshadow many of these memorable traditions will not be able to diminish the spirit of the season. The beauty that this time of year ways brings will prevail.

Santa Claus Will Still Come

If we continue to believe, the magic of Christmas will give us hope.

Just as children become ecstatic when their Elf on the Shelf arrives, we must embrace the dawn of each day with a spirit of happiness. Just as children sit upon Santa’s knee to present their Christmas list to him, we must allow our hearts to fill with hope that more cheerful days will return to us once again. Just as children sit in the window sill on the evening of Christmas Eve to wait for snowflakes to fall from the sky so that snow blankets the ground in the morning regardless of the climate they live in, we must be willing to embrace an uncompromising delight in this season.

It’s all about having child-like faith. Believing in the magic of the season is an untarnished act of the will. It’s simplistic in nature. Find your magic and invite it into your total being. Welcome your magic and it will ignite your total being.

The Spirit of Giving Will Prevail

When your magic is unconditionally embraced, it will fill you. Your magical overflow will become so abundant that you will not be able to contain it. You will be driven by an internal force that is sealed with love that urges you to share your magic. It will motivate and guide you to give it to others.

This is the spirit of giving.

The act of giving has no boundaries. The pandemic does not have the power to stop it. Social distancing does not have the strength to minimize it. Wearing facial masks cannot not make it disappear like a vapor. Using proper hand sanitation does not prevent it from being extended to others. Despite the troubling circumstances of our times, the spirit of giving is indestructible and it is enduring.

Allow the timeless presence of giving to become one with you throughout the holiday season.

Discovering New Ways to Celebrate the Holiday Season Can be Found

Just because our ability to enjoy the season will be different this year does not mean that celebrations must disappear. Holiday festivities are able to continue. Here are some creative ideas.

Idea #1

As a former family and consumer sciences teacher, also known as home economics, it is very easy for me to share ideas about family living and food preparation. Little did I know that the following article that I wrote last year around this time would be so timely as we enter the holiday season during the pandemic. I provide strategies for the family to use to create fun memories together.

Simply stated, it is very possible to combine cooking and baking to create holiday gifts to give to members of your family, neighbors, coworkers, teachers, and friends. My story is filled with ideas for doing so. These suggestions defy social distancing and other hindrances associated with the coronavirus. The wonderful reality is that these gifts can be mailed, delivered, or safely given to special people in your life that you would love to bless.

Idea #2

If you combine your creativity with your ability to collaborate with your family and friends by using technology, many ideas for participating in unique celebrations will come to mind. Here are some ideas that I came up with for virtual holiday activities:

• host a holiday sing-along
• compete in a gingerbread house decorating contest between families
• attend a pajama and hot chocolate Christmas movie night
• enjoy a special meal with Santa or another Christmas character
• participate in a gift decorating party
• coordinate a virtual neighborhood walk or automobile drive to share images of fun, interesting, or tacky Christmas decorations with others who tune in
• connect with family members on a big television screen on Christmas morning to open gifts and to enjoy breakfast together
• plan very formal holiday concerts and recitals among friends and loved ones so that children perform by playing their instruments, reading poetry, presenting plays, dancing, and singing as those who attend wear their finest attire
• have nightly story time events hosted by a grandparent so that holiday classics can be read and memorable stories can be told
• offer a Christmas cooking class so that family and friends are invited to observe a demonstration or a series of demonstrations of classic holiday recipes like candy, bread, cookies, pie, or cake
• host a huge Christmas dinner also projected on a big television screen so that family members and friends near and far are able to enjoy a delicious meal together along with the lively conversation that typically accompanies this type of gathering
• enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, apple cider, eggnog, or another drink of preference with an elderly parent, family member, friend, or acquaintance

The list of virtual holiday family friendly activities is virtually unending.

Idea #3

Families should rediscover the fun in taking a drive together to enjoy looking at Christmas decorations. A picnic basket can be filled with snacks and drinks in preparation for an enjoyable evening exclusively dedicated to looking at holiday lights. The entire family can be prepared for their cozy drive by wearing their favorite Christmas pajamas.

Idea #4

Serving others ought be the highlight of the holiday season. Parents should consider communicating with faith-based and service organization for ideas for the family to participate in a community service project together. Once a safe and appropriate activity is decided upon, the family should remain committed to giving of their time and effort to serve and to help others.

The True Meaning of Christmas Will Be Honored

Love is the purest essence of Christmas. Other attributes that reflects this family-centered holiday season include unity, peace, harmony, kindness, service to others, prayer, positive relationships, happiness, sacrifice, and giving. This season also reminds us how powerful the spirit of humility really is.

It is very important for all the characteristics that genuinely encompasses us at Christmas to remain robust and in the forefront of our beliefs and values during the pandemic.

The coronavirus cannot steal the true meaning of Christmas.

Conclusion

The traditional excitement that typically accompanies the holiday season will be missing this year. It must because the coronavirus continues to intensify. We must do our part to work together in a united manner to slow the pandemic. However, we can still enjoy a fun-filled and joyous season if safety remains paramount.There are many wonderful ways to make this happen.

It starts with believing in the magic of Christmas by having the faith of a child. This releases the ability to embrace the spirit of giving as well as developing alternative ways to creatively celebrate the joy of the season. Making food gifts as a family and using technology to create festive moments are some of the ways to compensate for the lost traditions during this time. Finding ways to serve others and remembering the true meaning of Christmas are the things that are most important.

Thank you for reading this article. Happy holidays and be sure to remain safe.

Here is my golden ticket that helps me accomplish my mission.

Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Teacher and School Administrator. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and her YouTube Channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1DPhBeA29UlybU9jzDkdQ .