A COVID Christmas
2020 has not been the brightest or cheeriest of years. Everyone has been shut indoors, away from friends and family. It’s no secret that spirits could use lifting in times like today, and what else is known to bring cheer like the holidays? Many Frederictonians have decided to use their Christmas spirit as their secret weapon to fighting the COVID-19 blues
Residents and business owners in the city of Fredericton have begun to set out their Christmas decorations extra early in hopes to combat the gloom of this year with the warmth of Christmas spirit. Some houses have been ready for Christmas since the late hours of Halloween. Many Christmas enthusiasts truly believe in the power of the season’s joy, and believe decorating extra early is a great idea. Fredericton resident Samantha Bryant, is thrilled with the sight of early decorating and believes it to be beneficial:
“I think that putting Christmas decorations up a little bit early this year is a beneficial thing to the community, just because of COVID-19 this year, general stresses, it could be financial problems, it can cause the community to have a more hopeful and cheerful way of being.”
Some people have decorated early for Christmas for years, and others haven’t until now. Either way, no harm can be brought to the community by spreading some much needed light and cheer to this year full of emptiness and isolation. Though COVID-19 means we can’t gather together, citizens can come together in spirit by putting up a strand of lights or an inflatable Rudolf. Fredericton resident and Christmas enthusiast, Kayla Huelin believes that decorating early is more than worth it in terms of the joy it can bring to the community:
“Personally, I think it’s awesome that people are decorating early for Christmas this year. I think this year’s been pretty negative overall for a lot of people, so if something as small as decorating for Christmas early can lift people’s spirits, then that’s awesome, and I know I’ll be decorating early.”
Though the pandemic has made its way around the world like Santa Clause, people in Fredericton refuse to let it dampen their Christmas spirit. They believe that we can lift some of the weight from something that affects us all, like a pandemic, by decorating for a time that involves us all; the holidays, regardless of what/how you celebrate. Frederictonians refuse to let the 2020 blues steal the joy from the most wonderful time of the year.