Corona Diaries: Christmas Presents
18.12.2020
We’re creeping ever closer to Christmas and, in this mess of a year, nothing is quite how is usually is. Some of us will see family, some won’t. For most people it’ll be a hugely different set up to normal and overlaid with a persistent sense of anxiety and sadness. Now that that cheerful introduction is out of the way I’ll move on to talking about presents!
I. Love. Presents. Choosing them. Gifting them. Receiving them. Basically everything except paying for them. Everyone in my family, including my in-laws, is the same. We don’t even limit gifting to Christmas. We gift for most occasions including ‘just because’. These aren’t necessarily big gifts, just little tokens of affection, the way we show that we’re always thinking of each other.
This year I’ve questioned how much of an emphasis I want to put on buying Christmas presents. Despite the obvious urging from shops for us to spend money to help boost the battered economy, I’m also reminded how often we’ve remarked that this year has taught us more about what’s truly important. Truthfully I’d much rather be able to hug my family, for my husband to be able to go up to Manchester to see his, and to stop living with a constant need to assess the risk in every encounter. But I can’t. I want to donate to food banks, homeless shelters and domestic violence charities. I want to be aware that other people can’t afford to buy presents this year. I want to remind myself that I’m an adult and there are no kids in our family - unless you count our pets, which we do.
All that said though we, like many many others, haven’t stopped buying presents this year. In lieu of our presence, we’re proffering presents. But instead of ordering off Amazon or heading to John Lewis we’ve been commissioning artist friends and scrolling through Etsy. Most creatives have had a tough year and we’ve found a happy middle ground in ensuring that our money goes to small businesses who need it. It has also, I hope, been clear within the family that gifting does not mean anticipating receiving. We’ve spent less money than we usually do too and will be able to do a donation or two as well, although I’m not yet sure which ones specifically. Happy to take recommendations.
Gifting isn’t the centrepiece of our Christmas this year though. We’ve discussed at length who can safely see each other, who might need to be left out. We’ve organised Zoom nights (as we did for Chanukkah. We’re a multi faith/multi holiday family), outdoor trips to see Christmas lights and family members who are able have isolated in the hopes of seeing each other. But, while plans change day to day, presents are one thing we’ve been able to organise in amongst all the uncertainty and it’s nice to have that to look forward to at least. Wishing all readers a happy festive season and health for you and yours.