Usually, at this time of year, shopping centres would be full of frantic shoppers, people weighing up which size of turkey they need in the supermarkets and kids and parents queuing for hours in the middle of a town to visit Santa.
But this year is like no other. If regular Christmas festivities go ahead, it will have to be with added restrictions and cautions.
In this article, we are going to visit some of the concerns you may have this Christmas about missing out on regular traditions and show you how you can still carry them out.
Zoom Christmas parties
There will be no getting drunk with your workmates at an office party this year. Well, there can still be, but it will have to be digitally. Don’t worry; it can still be fun! Think back to how people were getting inventive with games in the first lockdown. If you have had your eye on a dress from months, buy it! Put some makeup on and buy some knee high boots, give yourself all the usual Christmas glow and feel good! Act as if you will still be going out with colleagues even if you don’t leave the front door.
Put the decorations up early
Get in the loft or start rooting round in the back of the garage to find the Christmas tree today. It’s proven that putting your Christmas decorations up early can make you feel better.
Psychoanalyst Steve McKeown says: “In a world full of stress and anxiety, people like to associate to things that make them happy, and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of the childhood”.
Whether you put your decorations up first thing in November or Christmas Eve, putting them up this year will make you feel better.
Maybe you don’t look forward to putting up the Christmas lights. Maybe you love going to see the lights decorating your local high street instead. If your city is still putting up their lights (as most are), you can still go! Just make sure you are safe – go in your car and admire the lights as you are driving down. Go for a drive around the neighbourhood and see what lights your neighbours have put up.
The nativity
We don’t know if schools will still put on nativity plays or not. Your kids might miss that or they might rejoice that they are not being stuffed into a donkey costume. But you may be sad you won’t get the traditional nativity photo! So, you could put together a nativity play at home instead. This could be a great source of entertainment on Christmas night; allowing the kids to perform their own play. The costumes are easy to get a hold of online. You can even video-call Grandma so she can watch too!
Santa visits
We don’t know what will happen to Santa’s grotto this year. But whatever happens, there will be regulations and social distancing involved. Of course, there is an alternative that has been available all along. You can send Santa a letter!
There is a special address set up by the Royal Mail for this, and you will get a response back for your kids.
Coronavirus can’t stop TV
Retailers pump a lot of money into festive adverts at the end of the year to warm your heart. It’s estimated that this year’s advertisement budgets will be cut by 10 per cent, but retailers will still spend a staggering £6.2 billion in the advertisement battle.
Current fan favourites that have come out has been Aldi’s celebrity Kevin the Carrot doing his best Top Gun impression, and TK Maxx has offered us a goat in a designer outfit. Meanwhile, Argos has two sisters putting on a magic show for their family.
The last turkey in the window
One stress for many people this year will be getting all the things they need to make the Christmas feast. Fighting over the last turkey should not be a problem, though, even with lockdown restrictions. Supermarkets, butchers and greengrocers will all stay open as essential shops. There is no need to rush, and there is no need to panic buy – there will be enough for everyone.
This Christmas will be different from others. But that is more of a reason to make it the best one ever. Whether that means cooking more than you usually would or buying some festive face masks and hand sanitiser to make your pandemic supplies more festive.