Seeing the preparations for the Christmas market, trees in storefront windows, and festive lights being hung in Sheffield city centre elicits excitement for some students who celebrate Christmas.
Perhaps it is extra excitement, considering many Christmas celebrations last year were nothing like usual. Initial plans to relax Covid regulations over the holiday season were changed as cases spiked. In Tier 4 areas such as London and other places in south-east England, residents were only allowed to celebrate Christmas with the people in their own households and support bubbles. Travel to other regions was prohibited, which prevented families and friends from seeing each other for normal Christmas festivities. Lower tiers allowed up to three different households to convene on Christmas Day. Even with some ability to meet up, following traditions such as going out or to the pub were impossible.
Not every student had a much different Christmas experience. Biology student Violet Salway only goes to see extended family every four years because they live far away from her, so a toned-down Christmas felt normal. Similarly, Themis Pierson, who went home to France for the holiday, says things were typical because her family does not have huge celebrations. France had some restrictions too, and Pierson says her mother did not go to the big supermarket they normally do for Christmas dinner shopping because of Covid testing requirements.
For material engineering student Ed Page, lives in Switzerland but has family in England. Seeing them anytime during the pandemic was difficult, let alone Christmas. He said: “I’m excited to see my cousins again and uncles I haven’t seen in a couple years because of Covid.” And to celebrate this year, his family will resume their “yearly Christmas walks and have a Christmas dinner.” He says he does not remember much of Christmas last year because it was so quiet, which seems to be a similar experience for many students at Sheffield.
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In other countries, Covid posed much less of a risk, and the people living there were afforded the normalcy that many others dreamed of. Alexander Alexiev of Bulgaria said: “everything was the same” for his Christmas. He still got to partake in his favorite activity, clubbing, and to make this year extra special? He hopes to go to “more clubs.” It seems that West Street didn’t satisfy his hunger, and so Alexiev will be continuing his festivities back home in Bulgaria over the break.
None of the interviewees seemed bothered with making up for last year in lockdown, or putting in effort to make this Christmas more special. England has been free of Covid restrictions since July 19th of this year. Many of us remember the anticipation building up to the date when clubs re-opened, and the rush to book tickets to events, or even reserve tables inside at restaurants. There were waiting lists, queues, and crowds. Immediately post-lockdown, people seemed to “make up” for lost time by going out much more than usual. Why is there less anticipation for Christmas? Perhaps it is because with four months of post-lockdown partying, people are already burnt out, and things are already back to normal. For others, it may just be that Christmas is not that special to them in the first place.
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During lockdown, it was a common theme to recognize how much we take for granted in daily life. The ability to see loved ones was taken away, and many of us could not participate in activities that bring us joy. For those who were prevented from seeing family or whose Christmas traditions were disrupted, this year may feel special in and of itself, just by the nature of having ‘normal’ back. Everyone’s personal experiences with holidays are different. The holiday season is also not a happy time for everyone. Life has already felt back to normal for a while, and so it is possible that Christmas will slip by without any extra bells or whistles. I know I am already taking the ability to be with others for granted. Perhaps the most important thing is just to remember where we have been and recognize the goodness in being able to see those special to us, whether it be during a holiday dinner or not.
Cover image taken by KrakenImaes on Unsplash.com