2020 Christmas Holiday Planning: Making the most out of the holidays

2020 has been a different year for everyone worldwide, COVID-19 changed our way of living and affected so many families. Some lost their loved ones or have gone for long periods without visiting or being together. Many people would agree with what Gary Moore had to say, “Christmas is of course the time to be home, in heart and as well as body”. Christmas season is spreading love, bringing joy, happiness, and cheer to everyone, it is the time for families to celebrate together.

Before making any holiday plans to gather, it is very important to check the COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions that have been put in place by the various health units. Seniors have a low risk tolerance, which makes it very important to protect them, keep them safe and healthy during this pandemic. Unfortunately to be able to do this we might be forced to skip the Christmas gathering this year, this will come after assessing the pros and cons of travelling or being with family and friends. To better assist you in assessing the risk, Ryerson National Institute of Ageing created a decision aid tool to use as a guideline for holiday planning, visit covidvisitrisk.com.

We have put together some ideas on how to bring joy and happiness to our loved ones this season and what to do to protect them regardless of what decision you make on having that family gathering.

If you are having a family gathering

·         Consider quarantining before and after the gathering.

·         Choose and create your Christmas social bubble.

·         Create a quarantine plan and make sure everyone in the chosen bubble commits to it.

·         Stock up for essentials, signing up for online contact free deliveries for any groceries, gifts, or last-minute shopping.

·         Follow COVID-19 guidelines for your region.

Skipping the Christmas gathering is done to protect your loved ones which is most important, however the question is how do we make the most out of the holidays if we are not together? It is very essential to keep the regular traditions that give us joy and happiness on holidays.

·         Watch or attend virtual Christmas plays and concerts. Amabile Choir, Grand Harmony chorus, St Mary Choir school, CP Holiday Train among others will be having virtual concerts online, be sure to watch for links on their websites and Facebook pages.

·         Virtually connect through videos for meals, gift opening and possibly host a Christmas family party through various apps available like Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, Facetime, Messenger, etc. Do not forget to make it fun, wear the Christmas jerseys if that is a tradition you usually do!

·         Order or prepare special dishes to go and get them delivered contact free to your loved ones. Costco and a few restaurants offer complete feasts with everything from starters to desert.

·         Order gifts to be delivered directly to your family.

The numbers keep rising and several regions are already in lockdown. Hopefully, we will be able to flatten the curve to have decent holidays despite the challenges that the pandemic brings. Although this is not your average holiday, lets do our best to celebrate the joy of the season and spread love not the virus!