It is no secret that the world has changed drastically since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. In the words of the President via a tweet, “until November 4th., Fake News Media is going full on Covid, Covid, Covid.” With the worldwide shift to an online environment, it only  makes sense that the upcoming holiday season would be affected as well. 

What was once a time  for joy and reconnection has been overshadowed by the pandemic in every way possible. Two-hundered and thirty thousand loved ones will no longer join the Thanksgiving prayers and the December feasts. That leaves every grieving family with only two horrible options. The options: either celebrate with an empty place at their table or to call off the gatherings altogether. Either way includes benefits and risks, each being different geographically and situationally.  

Do you have a family full of healthy young adults in an area with record low COVID-19 rates? Or do you have a family more like mine, where the majority of people are older, with pre-existing conditions in a rapidly increasing COVID-19 hotspot? It is safe to say these scenarios have  wildly different risks associated with them. Does your family believe they are being lied to by the aforementioned “Fake News Media” and therefore are going to live regularly? Or do they believe it is better to be safe than sorry? Opinions vary greatly regarding how to balance safety and self-preservation during this unprecedented time.  

Personally, I think this is hard to balance. Imagine a family who believes wholeheartedly that life cannot be controlled by an illness. Conversely, imagine one which believes it would be irresponsible to bring the family together during such a trying time. Both sides are correct in their own way. Devout families have religious obligations to fulfill through gathering, and yet mosques, churches and synagogues remain at less than half capacity to reduce the spread of the virus. All families, whether they practice religion or not, need the holiday break to reunite extended members who may live all across the world.  

“The Season of Giving” may look different in preparation as well. Much like myself, the  Black Friday shoppers of the world do all their holiday shopping in a 24-hour span. This year it will look drastically different, if it happens at all. Online shopping can solve all  those problems though, right? Maybe not. The United States Postal Service and shipping  companies all around the world will receive more stress if people are forced to take their holiday  shopping entirely online.  

Given the birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and graduations that COVID-19 has already  taken from us, it is daunting to think that the happiest time of year is also being robbed.

Photo from Flickr