The Christmas holidays are an odd paradox. In theory, it’s supposed to be a time to relax and get together with family and friends, perhaps with some good food and conversation thrown in.
In reality, the stress of hosting that one weird relative or cooking a gargantuan bird for a large group of people can put a pretty severe damper on the festive atmosphere. Not only that, but in our shallow, materialistic society where nearly every social interaction has become commodified, plenty of people waste . . .
untold resources during this period trying to keep up appearances. The pressure we put on ourselves to make the most of the Christmas season is precisely why it can end up feeling like a chore.
A global pandemic on top of all that can’t bode well, especially given the mixed messages our provincial authorities have been delivering.
After giving out his “moral contract” at the end of November, Premier François Legault backtracked last week on his plan for Quebecers in “red zones” to gather for the holidays. He had previously stated that those living in the highest alert zones could potentially meet with their loved ones for a span of four days, as long as they isolated themselves for a week before and after. Now, only those in non-red zones, like MRC Pontiac, are able to have (still limited) gatherings. On top of that, students will get a few extra weeks off school, one for those in elementary and two for secondary.
This is all well and good for the parents who are able to take time off work or have easy access to childcare. For everyone else, it’s an added burden at an already stressful time of year.
We all could have been spared the whiplash of these back and forth decisions if Legault had waited a week or two to see where the province’s cases were heading. The forecast should have been obvious. Gatherings were never going to be feasible in urban centres like Montreal, and even in rural areas like ours the situation could change very rapidly due to our close proximity to the city.
However, as much as the provincial authorities want to curb holiday get-togethers, it’s impossible to police everyone. There will inevitably be those who ignore the public health guidelines, especially in a region like ours that hasn’t had any significant case numbers. It’s hard to convince people to be cautious if they haven’t experienced any first-hand consequences.
Thinking back to the early months and the first wave of this pandemic is incredibly surreal, back when people were cheering and banging pots and pans in support of health care workers. Richard Warnica beautifully summarizes the shift in attitudes between the first and second waves in a recent piece for the National Post, where he points out the fear and uncertainty of those early months has faded into frustration and despair. After detailing the horrors witnessed by a doctor on the front lines of the battle against COVID, Warnica is blunt with his analysis:
“So, it wasn’t that the cheering didn’t matter. It’s that the cheering was never really about the cheering at all. It was about the recognition that no matter how hard it is to stay home, to stay away from family, to close stores and close restaurants, to cancel holidays, to skip Christmas, to miss hugs, to miss friends, to miss saying goodbye — none of it is harder than having to watch someone die who didn’t have to.”
Above all, this time of year is about caring for other people, and if that means adjusting your plans or making a few more phone calls, it’s a small price to pay.
Caleb Nickerson
