OPINION: As festive plans fall prey to Covid we need more than ever to share the joy of Christmas

My original intention was to make this week’s column light-hearted and celebratory for the week that’s in it.

The plan was to look at the things that we never imagined we would hear ourselves say, but in 2020 we are coming out with them without even batting an eyelid. These include:

“Wasn’t it lovely that Santa was at the First Communions?

“Put on a mask if you’re going into the shop!

And most surreal of all, “Did you get tickets for Mass?”

But if there is one thing we have learned from this pandemic, it is that when making plans, you have to be prepared for the fact that everything can change very quickly. 

That is certainly what is happening now as the much-feared spike in cases has become a reality and many people are facing a very different Christmas than they would have anticipated only a few days ago.

When I was asked back in March to write a column that would be a record of how coronavirus is affecting our lives in Donegal (as opposed to an impersonal list of statistics), things were changing on a daily basis until we finally hit full and prolonged lockdown. 

The future was filled with uncertainty as the number of cases rose and the doors of most businesses stayed closed. But we finally flattened the curve and optimism returned. 

Plans were put in place for a gradual reopening of society and while things were far from normal, we got into the rhythm of a different way of living.

But the sharp increase in cases in the autumn changed everything, again. Christmas seemed impossibly distant, though there was still hope that we could get things under control. 

The open disagreement between the government and NPHET which came about when Dr Tony Holohan returned set alarms bells ringing. While it won’t change anything now, one has to wonder how different it would have been had the government imposed more stringent measures when Dr Holohan made that recommendation. Waiting until cases rose even further and then trying to claw back control of the situation must surely have played a part in us being where we are today.

It is heart-breaking to think of people who will be spending Christmas alone because their loved ones can’t travel home. Then there are the people who are far from home and can’t make their planned journey. 

There is no doubt that the unprecedented move to ban travel between Britain and Ireland in light of the new strain of coronavirus was the right thing to do. But it is immeasurably tough on those who are feeling the consequences.

So many Donegal people live and work in Britain, and normally it doesn’t  feel more than a short hop away. This Christmas it may as well be another planet.

It is the same for non-nationals living here. They are far from their loved ones, from their own Christmas traditions. 

And then there are the people who are stranded mid-route, not knowing if they will make it home. These include the hauliers in Kent and all along England’s south coast, unable to board ferries for the continent. Even if a travel agreement is reached, the backlog will lead to delays on one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.

The optimism that came from the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine in the UK was certainly short-lived; the virus has once again reminded us of the high cost of complacency.

There is talk at the moment of hospitality businesses being asked to close from Christmas Eve. This is leading to fears that a worse situation will arise if people instead gather to socialise over Christmas in homes where there are no time limits or social distancing measures in place.

In Donegal, the parish of Kincasslagh has already announced that it will not have congregations for Christmas Masses -  the rush for tickets for Christmas services already seems like something that happened ages ago, not in the last week. 

It is expected that many more Donegal parishes will follow suit by erring on the side of caution when it comes to the health of their parishioners.  

The best thing we can do now is to ensure that we don’t add to the problem over Christmas, that we resist the temptation to pop into people’s houses for a cuppa or festive tipple, that when dropping off presents we are not also  spreading coronavirus.

I wrote an article recently on how to create that feeling of festive togetherness while we are far apart. Among the suggestions was to make our video calls a bit less stilted by using modern technology to take part in our normal activities together. From enjoying a festive hot chocolate together over a Zoom call to several households following a favourite Christmas recipe together with the usual chat and laughter that you would have if you were all together, there are many ways we can take our  family traditions  and find a creative way to enjoy them together with the many video chat apps available.

Even something as simple as lighting a Christmas candle for those who can't be with us can make them feel a lot closer.

It’s far from perfect but it is the best we have - for now. Things will get better if we all make an effort to get the little things right.

It will be a strange  Christmas but I hope wherever you are that you find a way to  share the joy of the season with someone you love, whether together or apart.

Happy Christmas x