COVID-19 HAS DRASTICALLY CHANGED CITIZENS’ HOLIDAYS IN 2020
I find this story important as an important piece of information to not only the city or country, but the world as a whole because of the global pandemic. It’s affected many families in many different parts of the world. I wanted to dive deeper into what effects COVID-19 had on people during special holidays because it’s typically when family gathers together. But this year, people weren’t able to do that.
I spoke with Isabelle Martinez, 25, who shared her story of how COVID-19 negatively impacted her holiday season in 2020 due to loss of close family members, inability to spend time in-person with extended family members, and avoiding physical contact with bars and clubs in the Chicagoland area.
“The worst part about the holidays this year is that we definitely didn’t celebrate like we normally do and that we were missing my grandmas from both sides of my family. They both passed of complications of COVID, exactly six months apart and they had so much more life left in them,” Martinez said.
Being a young person in a city that is known for its nightlife is only fun when they’re able to enjoy it. Unfortunately, COVID-19 took all of this away from Martinez. She couldn’t see family members from out-of-state or too many close friends at once this year. Because of the pandemic, there is just too much of a risk when it comes to large gatherings. Another negative outcome of the pandemic hasn been death this year, and Martinez experienced this firsthand when she lost both of her close grandparents.
On Thursday January 14th, 2021, Martinez was asked how the virus affected her plans for holiday celebrations (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) this past year. According to Martinez, the holidays were tough this time of year, and nothing was to blame except COVID-19.
Unfortunately, many people lost their lives in 2020, and those people had families. Those families are now suffering the consequences of this deadly virus. Younger people also worry about their own safety because COVID-19 attacks anyone at any age. This means that national holidays like Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day won’t be celebrated the same this year either.
“We couldn’t celebrate how we normally do. We celebrate with more family and friends and sometimes go to restaurants for holidays. The past year we only celebrated with my immediate family,” Martinez said.
“Family is what makes the holidays and weekends great. To be able to get together and catch up. This last year we were not able to do that,” said Martinez.
Martinez had no choice but to keep her holiday gatherings small this year instead of celebrating with extended family. COVID-19 really ripped people away from their relatives this past year.
According to the COVID-19 Travel Industry Research website, all U.S. airlines services experienced a major decline because people weren’t travelling as much as they usually would. Because of this drastic drop in travel, Martinez was not able to see her extended family from out of state this year. She was only one of many that couldn’t celebrate with many family members for the holidays because of the delayed travel. Everyone has their own story, and some have even lost close members due to COVID-19. So not only did the virus take holidays and large social gatherings away, but it also ended the lives of those young and old.
“For both holidays, I’m going to stay home. Most places are closed and I don’t want to risk getting Covid by going out somewhere just for Valentine’s Day or St. Patrick’s day. For those holidays, I usually go out with my friends to bars/clubs or someone’s house to celebrate. Due to covid, we haven’t been able to go out and enjoy ourselves like we used to,” says Martinez.
Because so many restaurants and bars are still closed rolling into 2021, many young people aren’t able to celebrate Valentine's Day or St. Patrick’s day with their significant other or their friends. But they can still pick up an expensive steak dinner and have it at home while sharing a bottle of wine. Some might even say they can save money by sharing their beverages this year instead of paying for one glass at a restaurant. Instead of enjoying a night out at a movie theatre, couples can snuggle up and stay in while watching a romantic movie. Young people might be disappointed that they also won’t be able to have large parties when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day. However, they can have less than ten friends or family members over, or they can go to a friend’s home so long as that friend is following safety precautions and regulations. This is not the end all be all for holidays, but there is no final date on when COVID-19 will come to an end. All we can do is follow safety protocols that are given everyday. However, it’s sad to witness the virus shredding humanity piece by piece. The events that make people happy on an annual basis are being limited, so this means that their happiness is at an all time low. What will COVID-19 claw into this year?
I created a Facebook post asking for people’s answers about how the pandemic has affected their holidays and here were their answers:
