Under normal circumstances now would be the time where family and friends began booking flights to fly across the states or even the country to visit loved ones. It’s a time where college students return home for a long and well-anticipated break. It’s the time where you gather around the Christmas tree with your close ones and participate in a rousing game of Secret Santa. It is a time of coming together to celebrate the holidays with a hot chocolate in hand as you reminisce on the months in the early year as well as plans for the upcoming one. It’s a time of high spirits, joy, and laughter. It is a time of new beginnings and refreshed-ness. It is the most wonderful time of the year.

Sadly, everyone is aware that this Christmas season may not look like the last. Just as every holiday throughout the 2020 year, this time around, things will look a bit different. With Covid-19 putting many people’s seasonal yearly plans to a halt, a number of us are left spending the holidays alone in fear of transmitting the virus to those around them. This may be due to an underlying health issue that cannot be placed up for odds or even due to already being infected. The question that still remains however, is it still a good idea to come together to celebrate for those who are planning to do so? 

I feel as though there is no direct answer to this and that what you plan to do during this time of year depends on a few things including: do you have high-risk family members; family members who have been infected already; COVID scares; as well as personal comfort level. It depends on the safety measure you are and have been taking. It depends on the people you are and will be interacting with. Are you and will you be following the CDC guidelines? There are various factors that come into play given this circumstance.

Overall, I think the ethically right thing to do would be to pass up on the oh so tempting opportunity to celebrate extensively. With hundreds of thousands of people getting infected in the U.S. daily and millions of people being affected by Covid-19 in other ways, I feel the appropriate thing to do this year would be to stay home. Now, I’m not saying don’t celebrate Christmas at all, I just think it’s better for you to do it from the comfort and safety of your own home. 

Sadly, sometimes we aren’t always doing what’s ethically correct and a lot of the time we do what we morally think we should. This being, acting based on our own personal beliefs without adding others into the equation. Therefore, if you do decide to travel, this upcoming Holiday, please be safe about it. Be responsible with your choices and be mindful of those around you. 

Times are definitely different this year. And even though it may not feel completely the same, we still have the ability to do the best we can and to keep the Christmas spirit alive. Despite the pandemic and the effects, it has had on some families, hope is in the air.  We are all experiencing this together. We will get through this…ASONE.