How To Celebrate Christmas During A Pandemic
This Christmas will be different from the others the world has experienced. Although we may not be able to celebrate with all of our family, relatives, and friends as we did before, there are fun activities that we can look forward to this year. What’s important is that our loved ones are safe and healthy. Since the holidays are all about spending time and being with your family, here are some fun activities you can do this Christmas while staying safe at home:
Have a Christmas-themed family photoshoot at home
What’s more festive than having a Christmas-themed photoshoot at home? You don’t need a fancy camera nor a big decorated tree, although it wouldn’t also be bad if you have both.
Have your immediate family who you live with stand beside your Christmas tree and snap some photos. You can make a themed photo series to make it more fun. Some ideas for your photoshoot can be: wearing matching Christmas pajamas or sweaters, having your grandparents or parents dress up as Mr. and Mrs. Clause and the rest can dress up as reindeers and elves, holding some gifts and make it look like a gift-giving social event, or color coordinating your outfits to make it look festive and cohesive. These photos will be something you can look back to a few years from now and something to remind us of what we have experienced.
You can even send these pictures to others to wish them a Merry Christmas. While we may not keep all of our traditions alive this year, we can make new ones and make use of what we already have.
Enjoy a Different Kind of Noche Buena
One of the most remembered and kept alive traditions influenced by the Spaniards is Noche Buena, which translates to Christmas Eve. This is the tradition that we always look forward to all year long– all the lumpia and lechon that we fight for.
Although, this year, our Noche Buena would be smaller since most people still avoid large groups, we can still enjoy a good midnight meal to celebrate Christmas Eve with our family. And so, I would like to recommend and maybe introduce an app that we have been using this lockdown heavily. It’s an all-in-one app called Pick.A.Roo.
You can download this from the App Store or Google Play. The app features all kinds of stores: luxury restaurants, grocery stores, baby toys, gift stores, electronic stores, arts and crafts, and even kitchenware.
Pick.A.Roo has been a life-saver for us since we haven’t left the house, even if it’s to buy groceries; we do everything online. The buying and delivery experience is pretty great and straightforward. However, you can only order from branches within 10 km of your delivery address, limiting your options. But, I don’t think that this is a deal-breaker because there are still many choices to choose from!
Check out Pick.A.Roo here
Watch a Classic Christmas movie
Grab a tub of popcorn, wear your pajamas, cuddle up in your living room and watch a Christmas movie. My favorite Christmas movie will always be a black and white classic film of It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), directed by Frank Capra.
It’s a Wonderful Life is about George Bailey, who wants to commit suicide on Christmas Day by jumping off a bridge. Being the selfless man he is, he saved someone who was pretending to jump off the bridge. The man that he saved was actually an angel who was tasked to help George in order to get his angel wings. The angel, named Clarence, then showed George what the town would be like if he weren’t born at all. Through Clarence’s guidance, George was able to see how his good deeds affected the people’s lives, and without him, his town would be different and not in a good way.
I didn’t think I would like the film the first time I heard about it. When my grade 12 professor showed this, I remember the class groaning when he said it was a black and white film. We didn’t think it would be worth watching at all. But by the end of the film, everyone was wiping their tears and trying to act tough. Perhaps, like George, when we are so overwhelmed with our problems and responsibilities, we might think that the world would be better off without us. What we don’t think about is how we are also capable of goodness and selflessness. Those who love us would not be better off without us, and that has to count for something.
Watch It’s a Wonderful Life on Amazon Prime
Organize a Donation Drive
Despite everything, I hope we can remember and take the time to share our blessings to those who are heavily affected by the pandemic and the typhoon. There are many ways to help out just like some of these student-led initiatives. We probably have things in our home that we may no longer use but are still in good condition. Why don’t we give them a second home? Another way is to prepare Noche Buena gift packs that can be donated to communities in need. Let’s share our blessings with others and spread love (not COVID) this Christmas.
At the end of the day, Christmas isn’t about what you have on your table, nor is it about how many gifts you give and receive. It’s about the people you are with…
