This year, due to the ongoing pandemic and the risk it brings along to not just us but our loved ones too, it’s better to reconsider the nature of Christmas. If you are not in a highrisk group, it is not entirely crazy to meet a few people in the safest way possible. Unarguably it is the wishes and good times that we spend with our families that matters.
Christmas
amid a pandemic can still be merry
S
o think flexibly. Consider mince pies and presents in the garden, chestnuts roasting on an outdoor fire, a bracing walk with a picnic, or even eschewing communal eating altogether – since a Christmas lunch inevitably means removing face coverings and often sitting in close proximity while chatting for prolonged periods, all activities best avoided. Here are a few tips for celebrating Christmas this year, not the traditional way but still a very merry one. Isolation before Christmas If you are ill, you should obviously stay at home. But to reduce the risk of asymptomatic coronavirus transmission, you could consider self-quarantining in the run-up to Christmas. “If you are able to completely selfisolate for 14 days beforehand then you really are very safe,” says Yardley. “Five days isn’t enough, although it is better than nothing. Ten days would be better, and 14 days better still.” Try to avoid seeing everyone at once Just because three households are allowed to form a Christmas
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bubble that does not make such an event safe, particularly if your home is small. The more people you cram inside the higher the odds that one of you is unwittingly carrying the virus and the harder it is to maintain social distancing. Covid-secure your home
There are many ways of reducing the risk of transmission indoors, including disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, wearing a mask, maintaining a 2-metre distance from others, and using separate bathrooms. Ventilation is particularly important, and in well-insulated modern homes a single open window may not be enough. “What really makes a difference is having some airflow through the house, so keep the doors open and a window at the top and the bottom of the house ajar,” says Gabriel Scally, visiting professor of public health at the University of Bristol, and a member of Independent Sage. The same applies to individual rooms: keep doors and windows open. Remember home does not
mean safety Cancelling small gatherings is one of the most effective strategies for preventing the transmission of Covid-19, finds a recent study in Nature Human Behaviour. Gathering in the “safety” of your own home is particularly risky, precisely because we perceive it to be safe, warns Stephen Reicher, a professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews. “We feel relaxed at home, and that can be dangerous because it may mean we let down our guard.” Learn how to politely say no It can be difficult to push a loved one away if they approach you for a hug or invite you indoors. To avoid seeming rude you could think through potentially awkward situations and try
to pre-empt them. “Try to frame your saying ‘no’ as an offer, rather than a rejection,” suggests Reicher. “So, don’t say, ‘don’t come near me’, but rather ‘shall I keep my distance so I don’t infect you?’ instead.” Table manners If you have the space and furniture available, consider a U-shaped table arrangement
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