The holiday season is officially here, and I don’t know if it’s just me but it doesn’t feel like the holidays at all. We’re going on our ninth consecutive month of quarantine. With entire months blending together, it’s not really a wonder that many of us are lacking holiday spirit. Life-long traditions and family reunions have fallen by the wayside as Covid-19 continues to keep loved ones apart during what’s supposed to be the busiest time of the year. For some people this might be a blessing: not having to travel long distances and seeing those relatives you’re forced to be cordial to can definitely alleviate some stress. But for many people, having to continue quarantining during the holiday season is just the cherry on top of an already terrible year.
As someone who is currently living on our college campus, this is real to me in a different way. This year, I’m not spending thanksgiving with any of the people I usually do it with. Although I will avoid seeing that one aunt that asks me every year when I’m going to graduate high school, I will also miss out on my parents, my dog and that delicious pumpkin pie I look forward to every year. In an effort to reclaim my favorite time of the year, my housemates and I are reinventing what a traditional thanksgiving means to us. We’re still going to make all of our favorite dishes and dress up and share what we’re thankful for.
We’re also setting aside time to reach out to the family and friends we would usually spend the holiday with. It can be easy to forget that this feeling of loneliness during the holidays is not just something you’re going through alone. Everyone is tired of being cooped up for so long, and visiting loved ones would be the best way to get over it, but we unfortunately still can’t do that safely.
We don’t have a lot of options other than using the technology we’ve been relying on so heavily to reach those we’re missing during this holiday season, so we might as well take this chance to get creative. Deliberately planning out time to call relatives is a good way for both parties to not feel as alone. If you want to go a step further, go ahead and eat your thanksgiving dinner while on video call with your family members. That way no one has to miss out on the family bickering even if you’re not experiencing it in person. Cook the same things, have the same music playing in the background, or even coordinate outfits with someone if that’s your thing. Now that more people are used to using technology to connect with each other, you might even end up spending thanksgiving with more people than you usually would!