Happy Holidays, pals! For many of us, this holiday season is looking a little more low-key than usual. COVID-19 has made us trade mistletoe and Christmas party hopping for staying home and online shopping. But I don’t think the pandemic is ruining the holiday season at all. In fact, here are 10 Christmas traditions we’re glad to skip this year!
Playing Beat the (Christmas) Clock
Going home for Christmas is all fun and games…that is until you have a partner and are expected to be in both Woodward and Tulsa on the same day. God forbid one of you has divorced parents.
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Awkward Work Parties
Not all work parties can be the hot tub tubbin, champagne popping, cosmic brownie-pounded jamboree that is the annual TLO Christmas party. So, for the rest of you, I bet you don’t feel like you’re missing out this year by not having a corporate party to attend.
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Asking Who Made What
Christmas at home means no mystery dishes! Because for every uncle who brings a pound of macaroni salad from Homeland as his Christmas dinner contribution without caring to take it out of the original barcoded plastic container, there’s at least one cousin who’s homemade something or another should be avoided like we’re supposed to be avoiding the plague. Lest you accidentally eat something rancid or, worse, vegan.
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Midnight Mass
Is anyone really upset about missing a packed midnight service this year? As TLO’s very own credentialed craigslist minister, I don’t even think Jesus would be mad if you skipped out on his birthday celebration during a goddang pandemic.
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Going Quail Springs Mall in the Month of December
I miss bumper-to-bumper traffic in a parking lot and hustling through a sea of strangers to fill my basket with Bath & Body Works candles as much as I miss having to actually go into the office and wear shoes for work. Side note: curbside pickup service from local shops has spoiled me and I hope they keep it up.
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Day drinking spiked Braum's egg nog while watching Elf
Wait. You can still do this one. Nevermind.
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Having All Shopping Done by Christmas
Waiting until after the pandemic to get together with loved ones means waiting until after the pandemic to finish up your Christmas shopping. Nobody has to know that their gift of a custom Yeti koozie didn’t arrive until late March.
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A General Decrease in Gift Buying
The fewer people you see over the holiday season, the fewer random “just in case” gifts you’re expected to have on hand for when that old friend from college is really wanting to meet up to give you a Christmas gift and not an MLM sales pitch.
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Getting Sick
Maybe it’s not going to multiple parties in a week? Maybe it’s less of an increase in stress-induced cortisol levels that suppress the immune system? Maybe it’s not being around 10 or so of your cousins’ petri dishes children? Whatever the explanation, this is the first year in my life I haven’t fought a case of a cold/strep/flu during the month of December.
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Stress
The decrease in holiday-related travel, gatherings, and events has shown us that a lot of our holiday “traditions” are really unnecessary obligations in disguise. I hope the pandemic is over this time next year. But I also hope we remember that we don’t have to stress ourselves out by meeting unrealistic expectations and spending a cubic butt-ton of money to enjoy the holidays.
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Hayley always had a bunch of coffee mugs wrapped as “just in case” gifts. Follow her on twitter @squirrellygeek and become a contributing member of TLO here.
