Santa Baby!

Celebrating Christmas in a Pandemic: Is It Worth It?

Happy Thursday, Golden Divas!

I must admit, ladies, I love Christmas and ‘Soulful Christmas Music,’ especially when I decorate the Christmas tree. I get my playlist ready with my R&B favorite songs, such as ‘Santa Baby’ (Eartha Kitt), ‘This Christmas’ (Donny Hathaway). It has to be his version. LOl. ‘Silent Night,’ (The Temptations), ‘Little Drummer Boy,’ (Mandisa) ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ (Mariah Carey), ‘Oh Holy Night’ (Patti Labelle). Let’s not forget, ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’ (The Jackson 5), ‘Every Year, Every Christmas’ (Luther Vandross), ‘Merry Christmas Baby’ (Otis Redding), and ‘Deck the Hall’ and ‘Chestnuts Roasting On an Open fire’ (Nat King Cole), and practically every Christmas song by Motown and ‘Rockin Around the Christmas Tree’ by my namesake Brenda Lee. These heavy-hitters on my Christmas playlist always gets me in the mood for Christmas. 

Although some people might think our current situation has put a damper on the season given the significant risk associated with holding public festivals during a pandemic. Those of us who celebrate Christmas and all of the hoopla might be wondering how can we keep the traditions alive and are probably asking ourselves: “Is it worth it?”

I don’t want my ‘Merry Message’ to be misconstrued and lost through translation, so let me be clear. If you are a Christian and a believer, celebrating Christmas is WORTH IT! Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. We may not be able to do all of the fanfare with public festivals, going to church on Christmas Day (stream it this season), Christmas shopping madness, holiday parties, and parades, however, the meaning of Christmas is still the same; Jesus is the Reason for the Season and yes, some changes have to happen; if we adhere to them, we can still have a wonderful Christmas!

If we don’t lose sight of Christmas’s real purpose, a celebration of spending quality family time and exchanging gifts at home will suffice nicely and safely with your immediate family. 

Don’t get me wrong, I was struggling with the low-key holidays, but I love my family too much to partake in gatherings of large crowds of people just for the sake of gathering for the holidays. I know it has been a tradition to do all of the things I mentioned above, but as we know, life is too short! Learn to make some new traditions, if you want to stay alive. 

After seeing the surge of new cases after Halloween, the government explicitly introduced restrictions to address the burdens of COVID-19. Scientists are pulling back the reindeer reins even further for Christmas and New Year’s, with gatherings of 10 people, down from 25.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we are playing the ‘Reindeer Games’, waiting patiently to see if people followed the persistent warnings that the public health officials’ gave us regarding large celebrations and travel. If they didn’t, this could douse ‘fuel on the fire,’ accelerating an out-of-control Covid-19 spread for Christmas. 

This leads many people wondering did anyone heed their advice and sheltered in place as we watch with much anticipation to see if the scales have been tilted upward in new cases.

As we know, people will do what they want to do regardless. These people have been broadly accepted by the groups involved and demonstrably reduced the public health burden, which will give way to new daily COVID-19. 

Golden Divas, the consequences of mingling indoors for long periods with vulnerable people (the elderly and people who have underlining conditions) might become tragically evident by January 2021. So, let’s try to ease into the New Year without all of the extra drama. After all, we are waiting patiently on the COVID-19 Vaccine.

It will be great to see our extended family members for Christmas. However, I don’t want to see you at Christmas, and in a few weeks, I’m attending your funeral. As harsh as this may sound, it is true.

Yes, I know this will be a difficult Christmas, Golden Divas; however, I cherish the festive Season with those close to me. Unless, of course, you have to have a large gathering, despite the cold, if local restrictions permit, gather outside with loved ones for picnics in the park. If that’s your type of thing! Go for it! As for me and my household, we are celebrating Christmas inside.

My husband Rick and I speak about ‘Virtual Connection’ a lot on our radio show, ‘Let’s Stay Together Talk’; check us out every Tuesday at 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, www.soarradio.com, or on Facebook on our Let’s Stay Together page. The virtual connection is the key to a safe and wonderful holiday in the comfort of your own home. Some of my favorite virtual gatherings are the following:

  • Concerts
  • Happy Hour
  • Holiday Dinner Parties
  • Netflix Parties Movie Nights
  • Plays
  • Stream Religious Services
  • Wine Tasting
  • Zoom Holiday Dinner Parties

Whatever moves you, the point is to keep you ‘sheltered in place’ connected and safe so that you won’t spread the virus. Celebrating in large crowds will bring about a “substantial risk,” especially when you bring together generations with a high incidence of infection with the older generations who currently have much lower disease levels and are at most risk of dying if they catch COVID -19.

Respiratory infections peak in January, so again throwing ‘fuel on the fire’ over Christmas can only contribute to another outbreak.

Christmas is about God’s love for us, His mercy and compassion. Christmas helps us to take to heart the truth that God’s love is real. For me knowing God’s love is real gives me hope to get through this pandemic. So, if there was ever a time to show love and compassion for our fellow man, it is now with acts of social-distancing!

Christmas is more than just a season; it is a way of life that we hold dear. Christ, whose light shines in the darkness, will carry us out of this pandemic. You have to believe and continue to have hope, love, and joy in your heart.

The best gift that we can give each other, the most gratitude that we can express to one another is to keep one another safe this Christmas.

No Grinches are allowed even in the pandemic; let’s have a holly, jolly Merry Christmas, Golden Divas!

Golden Diva’s what do you want Santa Baby to bring you this Christmas? I know is it the COVID-19 vaccine? 

 

 

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