It’s safe to say that Christmas 2020 will be unlike anything any of us have experienced before.
Parties, get-togethers and trips to Santa will all be put on hold (for the most part) as we adjust to life with Covid-19 but even though you might find it a tad depressing, there’s something to be gained from it all aswell.
Think about it.
Never again will we take meeting up with our friends and family for granted. Never again will we moan about the having to attend another festive event or complain about what that person who barely knows us got us in the office Kris Kindle.
If you’re worried that Christmas 2020 is going to be a washout, don’t be. There is plenty you can do to make it your most memorable one yet!
Throw your expectations out the window
Whatever you had planned to do this Christmas, forget about it. A global pandemic resulting in multiple stages of lockdown in the country means that nothing is certain so you have to be flexible.
Don’t invite anyone to your home who may not be able to attend on the day. Instead, work on the assumption that it will just be you and your immediate family and if things change closer to the time, you can chat about adding more names to the pot!
Plan several video calls
There’s no two ways about it – the fact that you can’t see certain close family and friends over the holiday period sucks. BUT you can turn it into a positive by organising video calls – that way you might actually get quality time with way more people than you normally get to see!
And the best part is that everybody’s in the same boat so chances are, they’ll be more than happy to sync up their diaries with you.
Get creative with your gifts
Interestingly, buying presents will probably be easier than ever this year. While you can potter around the shops if you so choose, the recommendation is to stay at home and shop from the comfort of your living room.
But instead of buying the usual tat, why not get creative this year? Think about what you’ve learned about yourself and your loved ones over the last eight months and pick something they’ll cherish. Maybe you could make something for them?
Also, if you’re going to buy something, help the economy by shopping local where you can!
Tell people how you feel about them
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we have no idea what’s around the corner. One minute, we’re living our lives going to gigs and matches, happily going about our offices and the next, everything is shut down and we can’t go outside a two kilometre radius of our homes.
For those living abroad who haven’t seen family and friends in months and don’t know when they’ll be able to get home, it’s especially heartbreaking.
Who knows what will have happened by this time next year? If you’re lucky enough to be surrounded by people you love, let them know how much they mean to you. It’ll feel a bit corny, but you’ll be glad you did it!
Count your blessings
This year has been tough on everyone, some a lot more than others. Bearing that in mind, it’s very understandable that people could become mired in a state in bitterness over their circumstances – be it ill health, loss of earnings, distance from loved ones or just not being able to travel as they had before.
But if you really examine your life, you’ll probably see that you have more than you realise. A home, a friend, a partner, a family, a job, food, Netflix….
So, if you’ve been feeling like life just hasn’t gone your way this year, take a moment this Christmas to think about what has worked out. As Scrooge found out at the end of A Christmas Carol, it’s the simple things that make us the happiest!