For many of us, this is going to be the first Christmas in an almost post-Covid world. Last year, Christmas was dampened by the restrictions and general unease of the pandemic. Though the pandemic is nowhere near over, this Christmas is going to look a lot different from last year. That being said, the general fears and anxieties surrounding large gatherings are still present. It is still OKAY if you feel uneasy in large crowds or if the idea of gathering with relatives who may or may not be vaccinated makes you anxious. The last two years have not gone by without leaving their mark. It is entirely normal to carry with you some of the fears and anxieties from last Christmas into this one.
For me, last Christmas was rough. Two days before Christmas happened, my grandmother contracted Covid and was hospitalized. She was in an elder residence home, and as such, she was allowed some visitation on the basis of companionship. My father had gone to visit her as he is her caretaker, and my entire family had to quarantine for the entirety of Christmas and New Year last year. Not only did we have to quarantine from the rest of the world, but we also had to quarantine from each other. We celebrated Christmas over Zoom by leaving presents at each other’s door and opening it up over the camera. It may not have been the most pleasant Christmas, but there was still a way to find some joy. I would be fooling myself if I were to say that having to quarantine over Christmas has not affected my anticipation towards Christmas this year. There is still the fear that somebody at the party may have covered or that someone will contract Covid before Christmas. My experience is in no way unique as many of us had to spend Christmas quarantining regardless of whether or not they were in contact with someone who had Covid.
Recognizing and understanding that everybody has different tolerances and different preferences when it comes to Covid is a good place to start when beginning to adjust to this upcoming Christmas. For some people, it may be extremely easy to cast aside any fears, doubts and anxieties surrounding Christmas and to really enjoy the moment. For others, it may be a little more difficult as everybody’s experiences are unique to themselves. This year when we go into Christmas, it’s important to recognize this and to be respectful of everybody’s boundaries. Some people may not wish to go to family gatherings, and it can be very easy to take offence. While we’re still in this adjustment and the transitional period to what a post-covid world would look like, it is important to understand that the actions people take are not purposely against you.
Another thing that may cause anxiety that was not around last Christmas was vaccinations. The sense and feeling that we’re back to normal are very tightly linked to people’s vaccination statuses in our country. A lot of anxiety is relieved when someone has received their vaccine. Families can be very colourful and full of people with varying different opinions, so there is a good chance that somebody in your family may not have received the vaccination. This could be for medical reasons or generally because they don’t believe in the vaccine. This is something that can cause a lot of anxiety and it’s important to be honest with yourself when interacting with these people. If you truly feel uncomfortable and want to put on your mask while around certain people or if you don’t feel like attending a family gathering because a large percentage of the people are not vaccinated, do not feel pressure to conform to your family’s expectations.
The idea that this Christmas is a post-Covid Christmas is arguable. For many people in many parts of the world, Covid is still going on. As we can tell, all it takes is one variant for our entire sense of security to be shifted. We are still going through Covid 19, and we are not past Covid. Our landscape in the way that we’re functioning in today’s society is very much affected by Covid, and likewise, you yourself will be very much affected by Covid. Therefore, this Christmas season is not a post-Covid Christmas but more so an acceptance of co-ed Christmas. We have finally begun to find some sense of normal again, which is truly something to celebrate. Hopefully, going into the Christmas season, you recognize how grateful you are for your family and for the ability for us to gather.