A Covid Christmas

I am vexed – so vexed. How many times have I read or heard people say Christmas will be cancelled because of covid? The answer is too many times. Seriously? Well, I guess it will depend on what Christmas means to you. What exactly do you celebrate? Is it piles of gifts under the Christmas tree? Is it time with family and friends? Is it a spiritual celebration? Okay, I could go on, but I am sure you get the point. However, I will say, if you are following health care professionals’ guidelines and doing the whole social distancing, mask-wearing, hand-washing thing, then you likely won’t be getting together for Christmas gatherings of any kind. And in that sense, it may feel like Christmas has been canceled this year. And that is hard stuff. I know that it is family gatherings that I most love about this season and I am not looking forward to curtailing those this year, but I will.

In October we celebrated Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. At that time leaders implored the masses to forego the usual family gatherings in order to slow the spread of the virus. That advice was ignored by many. Weeks later the number of cases climbed and they continue to climb here in Canada. As we had been warned they would back in October.

Yet, Christmas can never be canceled, if you, like myself, celebrate the spirituality of Christmas: the giving of oneself in imitation of the greatest gift ever given. There are things we can do that will not put our loved ones, or ourselves, at risk. Things like donating to food banks or other charities; like sending our love and care through cards, phone calls, or virtually through zoom, duo, or other online conduits. And, dare I say, through prayers for loved ones, for neighbours, for the world at large. It may well be a Covid Christmas, but that does not mean Christmas is canceled!