The holidays usually make you feel good. Even when times are hard, they can lift you up. Regardless of your religious beliefs, tradition is a big part of it.

Honoring Time-Honored Traditions

When I was a kid, we always decorated a tree. Whether we bought one from a tree stand or my dad chopped one down off the side of the road, we put one up in our living room. Those trees had character! Tall and asymmetrical with at least one bald spot we hid by turning it into the corner. Whether it was full or Charlie Brown-y, my parents always made sure we had one. My sister, brother, and I would argue over who got to put the star on the tree, while my dad put up the lights. Good times.

We hung our stockings on the wall since we didn’t have a fireplace, and my mom pinned letters from Santa on the wall too. Those letters were sent from the North Pole, after all, and deserved a place of honor. On Christmas Eve, my mom made Monte Cristo sandwiches, ooey gooey squares of deliciousness. To this day, I make those sandwiches for my family on Christmas Eve. The recipe may have evolved (I dip the sandwiches in egg nog rather than batter before I fry them up), but it is a tradition I intend to keep.

Holidays in Challenging Times

Holding onto traditions may be harder this year. For people at risk for COVID-19 (the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions), gathering with friends and family became challenging, if impossible. With so many lives lost to the virus, more people could be grieving than celebrating this season.

Not that many people can afford to travel in the first place. Unemployment this year has taken a heavy toll, leaving people to fend for rent and groceries, never mind able to buy gifts for their loved ones. Of course, the holidays should never be about materialism and manufactured gifts, but that does not mean people don’t feel pressured just the same, especially if they have kids.

Speaking of kids, how will parents address the Santa issue? Visiting houses around the world during a pandemic could expose St. Nick to the virus. Hopefully, he stayed 6 feet away from Cindy Lou Who, spent most of his time outdoors in his sleigh, and wore a mask (it’s hard to wear a mask with a beard that big!), but he is not a young whippersnapper. If he visited enough infected homes, could he get sick? Kids will ask. Mine did. This is no time to take magic and hope out of the world. We need it now more than ever.

P.S. I told my daughter that although Santa had magic, he also believed in science. He took the necessary precautions.

The Real Gifts of Christmas

2020 and 2021 have been challenging in more ways than one. That does not mean we do not have anything to celebrate. It also doesn’t mean we should put our traditions aside. What we have to do is adapt and hope.

I mourned the death of two very close friends during the pandemic, but I still put up a tree and hung up stockings. I will make Monte Cristo sandwiches. I will hug my children, my husband, and my dog on Christmas morning. Even though I may not get to meet with my extended family in person, we will talk and laugh and smile on the phone and online. We, thank goodness, are alive and healthy. I couldn’t ask for more.

Every Christmas is its own joy but these pandemic holidays will stand out for obvious reasons. It is a reminder of how we can persevere. The real gift is life. Be grateful for every breath and for each other.