Personal Essay: The Holidays Hit Different This Year

by Hannah Rose

As 2021 finishes off with a, shall we say, “unique” bang, let’s look at how this holiday season is different from others. Starting, there are different strands of COVID-19 being discovered all the time. 

My family gathered for Thanksgiving (Hannah Rose/ENN).

People this year are having to take extra precautions when going out and about or if they go and visit their families. In years past, families could go everywhere out in public and experience the joy of the season without any worries.

Another thing I noticed this year is how stores seemed to put out their Christmas stock a little earlier. Couple that with radio stations switching to Christmas music sooner and holiday light installations lit up even before Thanksgiving. 

While the holiday setups are wonderful sights to see, isn’t it a little too early?

Maybe we all need a little extra joy as we enter a second holiday season marred by the ongoing pandemic.

These past two years have been fascinating, with all the news and changes, and challenging with an ever-evolving virus. Knowing and experiencing that, I think I want to see another year begin sooner rather than later and hope that it brings more normalcy to this world.

In the end, this 2021 Christmas season may have started early, but it isn’t just a single holiday we need to celebrate. It does not matter the holiday, you can always enjoy life’s greatest gifts, regardless of size.

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