Finding the holiday spirit during a pandemic
Curmudgeon ’ s Corner
IVAN RACONTEUR • EDITOR
Thanksgiving and Christmas can be among the most traditional times of the year , filled with family gatherings and steeped in the customs of years gone by .
This year , however , the holidays may take on a distinctly non-traditional look , as people continue to navigate their way through the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Instead of a quaint scene from Currier and Ives depicting a family making the journey over the river and through the woods to grandmother ’ s house for the holidays , leaving a trail in the fresh snow as they went , a picture of granny greeting her grandchildren via a Zoom meeting on her iPad may be more realistic this year .
Gathering remotely is not quite the same as getting together in person , but perhaps we are lucky that technology provides us some options .
We might prefer to see our extended family all in the same place , but it is important to be safe , especially when some of our relatives may be in high-risk groups .
It is also important to be aware of any special restrictions that may be in place in senior living facilities during the pandemic .
Generally , it seems people are extremely resilient , and they have been finding creative ways to stay in touch , while adapting to COVID-19 guidelines .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) offers the following advice for anyone who plans to host a holiday gathering this year :
• Host outdoor activities rather than indoor activities as much as possible . If hosting an outdoor event is not possible , and you choose to host an indoor event , avoid crowded , poorly ventilated , or fully enclosed indoor spaces .
• Increase ventilation by opening windows and doors to the extent that is safe and feasible based on the weather .
• Host activities with only people from your local area as much as possible .
• Limit numbers of attendees as much as possible .
• Provide updated information to your guests about any COVID-19 safety guidelines and steps in place to prevent the spread of the virus .
• Provide or encourage attendees to bring supplies to help you and others stay healthy . For example , extra masks ( do not share or swap with others ), hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol , and tissues .
• If you are planning in-person holiday gatherings with people outside of your household , consider asking all guests to strictly avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering .
Some of these suggestions may not be terribly practical .
For example , outdoor activities in Minnesota during November and December may not be appropriate for all family members . Likewise , keeping windows open to increase ventilation might reduce guests ’ enjoyment of the event .
Some hosts may not be comfortable asking their guests to self-isolate for 14 days prior to the party .
Nonetheless , there are simple and relatively painless things we can do to limit the risk to ourselves and our guests .
According to the CDC , gatherings with more preventive measures , such as mask wearing , social distancing , and hand washing , in place pose less risk than gatherings where fewer or no preventive measures are being implemented .
One final thing to consider as the holidays approach involves people who may be on their own , especially the elderly with no family nearby .
It is easy for these people to feel left out even in the best of circumstances , and the COVID-19 pandemic is far from the best of circumstances .
Making sure our family members , and our friends and neighbors are not left feeling isolated at the holidays would be a nice way to celebrate the spirit of the season .
By helping one another get through the challenging times we face this year , perhaps we will have more to be thankful for next year , when things return to normal – or whatever the new version of normal might be .
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