5 Christmas Traditions to Safely Enjoy during the Pandemic

Appreciating the small things this year

For many people, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It involves peace, love and generosity. This year especially, home, family, friends and people we cherish come to mind. Christmas is, for many, the moment to meet with the people you love. In addition, Christmas coincides with the end of the year, so it’s the point in time when many people reflect on what happened during the year. We think about successes and mistakes and also about what we can do better next year.

This year’s holiday season is going to be a bit different than ‘normal’ because of COVID-19. This virus has changed our lives deeply. But despite the current situation, we have to continue celebrating life and the nice moments it offers, especially at Christmas. Indeed, there are some popular traditions and plans we can continue doing while still following our local safety recommendations and rules. Let’s check them out for ideas on enjoying a great and safe Christmas season! Maybe they even give you inspiration to find a new activity or tradition.

5 popular Christmas traditions

• Enjoy the Christmas lights: Lights make all the cities shine, whether they are big or small, especially when they are decorated with that Christmas spirit people love. Going for a walk through your illuminated city or town is always a good plan.
• Meals with family and friends: In most places, you can meet with people in their homes. Be sure to always respect local restrictions and safety recommendations if doing so. Maybe this year you can only meet with close family and friends or a limited number of people, so try to take the most of these moments!
• Ice skating: This is another typical Christmas tradition. If you haven’t done it before, maybe you can try out this fun sport this year. In some some places, you can do this in nature and in others, maybe you can do it in an indoor ice hall. Please make sure you follow your local regulations on sports and recreation.
• Send Christmas cards: Sending cards has regained popularity this year. And Christmas is a good moment to wish the people we appreciate all the best. In addition, this can be a creative activity, and you can decorate the cards with materials you have at home. This is also a great way to show others who you can’t visit or who can’t receive visitors that you care.
• Put up the Christmas tree: This is an enjoyable activity to plan with your family or roommates. Maybe this year you can do it while you listen to Christmas music and enjoy a hot chocolate.

New Year’s resolutions

Preparing a list of resolutions is a good tradition for starting the New Year. Putting these dreams or wishes, or things we want to change, on paper helps internalise them and helps us work on them in the short or long term. To create achievable resolutions, it’s important to know our limits and how much time we have to dedicate to them. For this to be effective, it’s important to recognise that writing your resolutions is not the same as creating a wish list. You will need to review your resolutions throughout the year to understand where you are at in your development and if you are achieving your goals.

Now I would like to ask you: What would you like to change in yourself next year? Think about it and set small goals because, that way, they will be real and measurable, helping you avoid frustration. Despite the many difficult moments this year, trust in the magic of beginnings. This New Year, prioritise your development, becoming a better person and enjoying the little things. And remember: new year, new life!