The Christmas Spirit Still Lives on, Even Under the Shadow of Lockdown

Christmas has always been seen as a kind of comforting constant in our world. A tradition-filled holiday that will always be there, waiting for us, no matter what trials and tribulations we might have gone through in the preceding rest of the year. Christmas would be the one shining season where we could just get together and celebrate all the good things in the world.

But even a time as sacred as Christmas has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Uncertainty and isolation made for a chilly Christmas season, and I’m not talking about snow here. In fact, by looking at the effect of the pandemic during 2020’s Christmas celebrations, we can get a pretty good idea how the virus will affect this year’s Christmas as well.

In the Philippines, for example, home to the world’s longest Christmas season, pandemic lockdowns have decimated the jubilant parties and mass gatherings that have long been a staple of the holiday in this country. Yet massive city decorations in the capital Manila were still set up, with residents queuing in lines that span multiple city blocks, just to visit and spend time with loved ones in a place that exuded the Christmas spirit.

Meanwhile, Christmas in Japan was a muted affair. No surprise, as at the time the country had been grappling with a surge of cases just a handful of days ago. Planned concerts were cancelled, and businesses of all stripes were forced to reduce their staff after vastly decreased customer visits.

Despite the fact that it had become one of the world’s worst death rates from the pandemic, millions of people in the United States chose to travel domestically for last year’s holiday season, defying government pleas to stay home and keep movement to a minimum. However, Americans were still wary of international travel.

Certainly, Christmas festivities had been turned upside-down by the demands of the new pandemic. However, this isn’t an article about doom and gloom. While many storied Christmas traditions were certainly quashed last year (and almost certainly this year), celebrants kept the spirit of the season alive by adapting the celebrations to meet lockdown guidelines.

Churches around the world, from the Vatican to the United States, had made livestreamed and pre-recorded Mass a common and accepted form of worship in these fraught times. Families replaced traditional family gatherings with gatherings over Zoom, Skype, and other video-conferencing software.

Retail holiday shopping had been significantly dampened by social distancing rules. Even the most frantic of Christmas shoppers weren’t allowed to enter stores with too many people inside them. It’s a good thing then, that online shopping has advanced to the point where most (if not all) things you could find in an in-person store, could also be found in an online store. Rates of online shopping rose during the pandemic, as people that were initially hesitant to try it were encouraged towards it by increasingly harsh rules outdoors. With online shopping, one could buy enough gifts for the entire family from the safety of one’s own home. Sure, there may be delivery delays and product shortages, but those aren’t any more bad than the inconveniences you’ll have to face at a physical store. Remember the stampedes during Black Friday? Shopping on Christmas Eve is nearly just as bad.

Caroling had also been heavily neutered by Covid restrictions. Caroling in person had either been made smaller with social distancing rules in play, or was banned entirely. Instead, digital caroling had taken root, where people gathered on video-chat platforms such as Zoom and sung to their hearts’ content what could not be outdoors. While varying internet connections may have made it a pain, the option some platforms have to record meetings have been very welcome in preserving a Christmas memory for posterity.

Mall Santas were still kicking around last Christmas, but now they had to be behind plastic barriers, which certainly turned down the magic of the experience for any child and adult. However, for any child or younger relative who still wants to talk with Santa, you could have them write and deliver a letter to Santa, then have them receive a letter from santa in return. Even the smallest bits of magic are valuable in this period of clinical caution.

It just goes to show how people can be very adaptable, no matter the weird or varied circumstances thrown their way. All of this also shows just how much people want to celebrate our special occasions, no matter how inconvenient or potentially hazardous they may be. Having a sense of hope and belonging is nearly as important as food or water, and people will always strive to keep that hope and fellowship alive even through these dark times.

This article is one of those strivings, by the way. Just in case you haven’t noticed. So, without further ado, I wish all of you readers a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.