Summary

The article discusses strategies for maintaining holiday cheer and creating new traditions during the 2020 Christmas season amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

The 2020 holiday season, overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, presents unique challenges and requires adaptation to keep the festive spirit alive. The author, Liz, encourages readers to embrace change by altering traditions, focusing on the essence of Christmas, and finding innovative ways to celebrate. She suggests starting new ornament-making traditions, reevaluating and possibly retiring old ones, and considering the deeper meaning of the holiday beyond material gifts. The article also emphasizes the importance of expressing gratitude, participating in acts of kindness such as Secret Santa gestures, and leveraging virtual platforms to connect with loved ones for caroling and gift exchanges. Liz advocates for a positive mindset, urging readers to find joy in the season's simplicity and to create lasting memories despite the circumstances.

Opinions

The author acknowledges the initial reluctance to change holiday traditions but sees the pandemic as an opportunity to create a memorable and unique Christmas experience.
There is a call to push past negativity and resist the urge to dwell on the limitations imposed by the pandemic.
The article expresses that this year's holiday season is an ideal time to slow down, appreciate the smaller joys, and remember the true spirit of Christmas.
Liz suggests that changing up gift-giving traditions can be a thoughtful response to the hardships faced by many, including frontline workers, during the year.
The author promotes the idea of virtual gatherings as a way to maintain family traditions and holiday cheer while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
She encourages readers to be proactive in spreading Christmas cheer, even in small ways, to uplift those who may be feeling isolated or down during the holidays.
The piece concludes with an optimistic view, suggesting that a focus on personal growth, entertainment, and practical solutions can lead to a fulfilling and enjoyable Christmas, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic.

My 2020 Happy Holiday Series

How to Avoid a Blue 2020 Christmas

Inspiration to ditch those inevitable Covid Christmas blahs!

I’m not looking forward to shopping this year with my mask, raw sterilized hands and fogged glasses — are you?

Part of me wants to say screw it and celebrate like we always do, but if someone gets sick, will that special day be worth everything that could come next?

Again, I find myself ignoring the nagging “blah” that comes next.

Are you feeling that tug too?

A few months ago, I figured things would die down, and we wouldn’t be in this situation nine months after the initial lockdown.

But hello, we are!

So now what?

I’m pretty sure our Government won’t be providing us with Christmas bailout cash either.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Blah — Not feeling so jolly…

No doubt, Amazon will have their best Christmas season to date, but shopping online for gifts kills half the fun. Besides, we should be buying local to support our mom and pop stores through these tough times.

Things are further complicated when those close to you have different opinions about how we should be interacting socially.

We miss seeing our family and friends like crazy, but that adage “better safe than sorry” keeps spinning around in my mind.

“Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.” — Dr. Seuss

In the end, we’ll have to decide for ourselves how to handle the holidays, but since I’m thinking it through today anyway, I might as well share some positive, fun ideas that could be helpful if you feel stuck like me.

Let’s open our minds, untangle our tinsel and get creative.

Change our Mindsets First

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” — Calvin Coolidge

First, let’s push past the negativity I spewed all over the page above. It’s too easy to stay there and get bummed out.

We tend to dig our heels in and fight change, resisting it around the things we enjoy and cherish the most.

It’s normal to be thinking about the holiday traditions we’ll miss, but what if we change things up? This could be an opportunity to make it an extra special year instead of a total downer.

One, we’ll remember forever, but not because of the pandemic.

A Twist on Traditions

“The love in our family flows strong and deep, leaving us memories to treasure and keep.” — Kate Hardwick

We all take comfort in our traditions, especially during the holidays, so enjoying as many of them as you can is important this year. But what about a candy cane twist to mark this strange year.

Start a new tradition, like making your own special “one of a kind” 2020 Christmas ornaments, and then sharing your creations virtually with family on Christmas eve.
It’s a year of change, so why not retire an old tradition everyone secretly hates — take a vote from each family member to decide which one.
If you normally travel and spend Christmas away, think about how fun it will be to stay home and do your own thing for a change. Do you have to get up at 6 to open gifts? Could you have hot sausage rolls or cinnamon buns for breakfast instead of bacon and eggs?

There are limitless possibilities, aren’t there? And now you have a guilt-free chance to do it your way!

On Dasher, On Dancer, On Prancer & Vixen, On Comet, On Cupid, On Donner & Blitzen!

Let’s look forward to something fresh and different. Who knows, we could start new traditions that last generations.

Back to Christmas Basics

“Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it ‘white’.” — Bing Crosby

All I have to say here is the obvious stuff.

We get so caught up in the material world of gift-giving that we totally lose sight of what Christmas is all about.

Take a step back this year; it’s the perfect time to slow down and remember all the things you’re grateful for and the reason for the season.

Keep your celebrations simple, meaningful and stress-free.

Secret Santa on Steroids

“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” — Charles M. Schulz

We can change things up in the gift department after such a tough year too. There are plenty of people we’re super grateful for (like our front line workers)and more that have had an extremely rough nine months.

Is there someone that stands out this year that helped you or your family?

It’s a great time to show your appreciation differently, even if it’s a box of Christmas cookies to the overworked nurses at your local hospital or a surprisingly fat cash tip for the guy that’s been delivering your groceries or online purchases.

I’ll be on the lookout for someone taking groceries off the checkout belt because they don’t have enough to pay for it.

I plan to sweep in casually and pay their bill, then watch their Christmas spirit soar. Making a difference in someone else's life will feed my spirit, as well.

Think about who needs a boost, and go for it.

Virtual Christmas Carols & Gift Opening

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” — Will Ferrell, Elf

If you can’t travel to see family or you decide to stay home instead of having the usual Christmas gathering, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy opening gifts together.

We’ve all gotten pretty good with our virtual chats, so why not extend that to include family gift openings. They can be scheduled throughout the day if you plan early and do smaller groups if that’s less chaotic.

Christmas eve will be a great time to have happy hour chats with family too. Just stay away from topics like politics and COVID news...ho ho ho!

If you’re fearless, do some random calls to folks you know are alone or down in the dumps and sing a Christmas carol to brighten their spirits.

Think outside that gift-wrapped box and make the very best out of Christmas 2020 rather than dwell on what’s not the same.

Throw your fuzzy Santa hat on, line up your favourite Christmas movies (Netflix has a new line up for 2020) and ditch that blue, blue Christmas thinking!

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” ― Dr. Seuss

Here’s another story about keeping it positive…

3 Surprising Ripple Effects Thanks to the Pandemic

If we can stop complaining long enough, our silver linings will surface

medium.com

I’m Liz, the self-empowered, red wine & coffee lovin’, personal growth fanatic behind this article. I’ve stopped shrinking into places I’ve outgrown, and I’m a fan of straight talk and practical solutions. That’s why I’m here to Empower, Educate and Entertain.