Well, I didn’t think I’d need to be reposting this particular blog so soon. But the Omicron variant is already alive and well in the UK, and the British government is beginning to tighten its Covid restrictions. So I think it may be time, once again, to think about how to approach a potential Lockdown holiday season.
Last year, I shared five ways to enjoy Lockdown Christmas. This year, I thought I’d share five (new) ways to enjoy the season, come what may:
1. Listen to holiday music. I’m not a big classical music buff, but I live with three of them. So when my niece, who’s a professional cellist, invited me to watch her perform in Handel’s Messiah this year, I jumped at the chance. It was the first time I’d entered a performance space in nearly two years (and may well be the last for a good long while!) But you don’t need to go to a concert hall to enjoy festive music. We always stream A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols with the Cambridge King’s College Choir on Christmas Eve as we prepare dinner, yet another Christmas tradition I inherited from my mother. You could also simply go to an outdoor carol concert and join in the fun.
2. Watch Love, Actually. OK, so this is actually (no pun intended) a repeat of one of last year’s tips, but with a new twist. I’m a huge fan of he film, Love, Actually, and watching it is a staple of the Christmas season every year. But I’ve now added a new element to this tradition. I also make sure to watch a spoof of the Hugh Grant dance scene as performed by the staff of National Public Radio. I don’t care if you spend the entire holiday locked in a basement. This short clip is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
3. Buy a gift from a local artisan. One of the great pleasures of my neighborhood in London is that it’s home to a local market. Although mostly known for its food, Brixton Village also showcases numerous local artisans. A ten minute walk in the opposit direction is a farmer’s market featuring handmade gifts every Sunday. So whenever possible, I try to buy all of my presents at one of these two locales. Bonus? They’re both outdoors, so it’s all Covid-friendly. I always feel great knowing that I just helped a small business stay afloat. Shopping locally is also more environmentally friendly. A win-win! (Note: If you don’t happen to live near an outdoor market, you can shop on Etsy, a handmade and vintage e-commerce website.)
4. Send someone a gift you can’t enjoy yourself. My husband is Jewish. So we don’t really *do* Christmas, and we definitely don’t have many Christmas decorations in our home. But I love that stuff. So when I happened upon a Bonne Maman advent calendar housing a different jar of jam in each of its 24 windows, I knew instantly that I needed to send this to my sister. Ditto the Santa beer opener I found in Brixton market. Much like wreaths, stockings, and Christmas trees, we don’t do Santa. But I knew *just* which fellow beer-drinking friend to gift this to this year. It gives me great pleasure to know that both items will find a happy home.
5. Play cards. I included board games and jigsaw puzzles in last year’s list. This year I’m adding card games. I played cards a lot as a child, and my mother taught all of her kids how to play poker. The beauty of card games is that you only need two people. And most people already own a deck. Speaking of artisanry – (and alcohol!) – there are some incredibly clever playing card designs out there. (I personally love the Prohibition box set.) Top tip: take this opportunity to learn a new card game!
Tell us some of your special plans for this unusual holiday season in the comments section…
Image: Photo by Michelle Ziling Ou on Unsplash
