Christmas songs, brightly lit trees, gift exchanges and gatherings one after another – this is what Christmas is usually for a lot of us.  But 2020 has dealt us with a difficult hand and the festive season this year had us compromising on a lot of Christmas traditions. As we swap social celebrations to small, intimate ones with close friends and family - our readers share with us their Christmas tables amidst a pandemic and talk about what Christmas means to them this year.  

 

• Nishu 

“It’s been a challenging year but at the same time, I didn’t want my family and the kids to feel like anything was different. It’s been so tough on them, being locked up indoors and having online school so, I made up my mind to celebrate Christmas as best as I could. We decorated earlier than usual, we’ve been playing carols all day and we tried our hands at a few family recipes as well. Most importantly for our Christmas table, we wanted to do our bit for others so we decided to order our Christmas goodies from home bakers rather than from commercial bakeries. We even ordered the custom festive plates from a home business. It’s not much but I firmly believe in a little going a long way and that’s the most important lesson I want to teach my kids this year.” 

 

• Imanthi

“It’s my first Christmas in a very long time that I’m celebrating away from both sides of my family. We haven’t celebrated anything at all this year and I wanted to spread cheer to as many people as I can. So,  I got the Christmas decorations out early for some much needed festive cheer and as for my Christmas Table, I made Christmas cake and Love Cake – something I’ve always done with my ammi but I wasn’t able to do this year” 

 

• Devin

“Since I study and work abroad, I just returned to Sri Lanka so I will spend my Christmas Day in quarantine! On a normal year, we would have decorations and a constant flow of dinners, parties and gift exchanges. We also go to church on Christmas morning and for carol service on Christmas Eve but this year, I’ve had to incorporate a lot of virtual celebrating by catching some amazing carol services and concerts that were streamed online. My quarantine Christmas table would consist of a Christmas cake sent across by my parents which I’m looking forward to enjoying. Of course, I miss the festivities but 2020 has allowed me to simply appreciate being able to be reunited with my family knowing well that many people this year will not have this privilege. As Christmas is a time for giving, and given that many people are currently struggling, I hope we can find it in us to help the people in need during this time.”        

                    

• Dhara

“We are celebrating Christmas in a very low-key way this year. Our Christmas Table is not really a traditional one – we like to try different cuisines every year. This year, we are doing a mix of local, Chinese and western and in the festive spirit – a Christmas pudding for dessert. Usually, we celebrate with all our friends and loved ones but this time, it’s just immediate family to limit our contact with others. It also feels weird to celebrate when other people are not able to celebrate the same as you.” 

 

• Tarja and Alberto 

“We usually travel abroad during Christmas, mostly to Spain where Alberto’s family will have huge celebrations and we’d enjoy their traditional Spanish Christmas with a sweet bread called Roscon and lots of seafood. But this year, for a change, I’m celebrating with my family at home in Sri Lanka and ordering in some Christmas favourites. I will miss celebrations in Spain but this year’s Christmas has also brought families together and allowed people to enjoy the true essence of Christmas with their loved ones.” 

 

• Jude

“Christmas holds a lot of significance due to our faith and the season is usually filled with many dinners and get togethers but this year we are all in agreement that it’s best that we limit interactions for the safety of our loved ones. A usual Christmas Table for us is that we always preferred eating out at a hotel as it allowed us a good break from work and we can’t imagine slaving for hours in a kitchen on this rare holiday we all religiously clear our schedules for. But this year, after much debate, we agreed to meet at home and prepare our Christmas meals. It’s a stark contrast to how our family does things but I’m excited to just celebrate with them.” 

 

• Amalini

 

“Personally, Christmas this year hasn’t even registered, being conscious of the fact that it has been a particularly difficult year for everyone.  It’s the end of a very long year and the Christmas spirit is all about giving, but if you look at it, it's almost as if we've been showing that spirit right along. This whole year people have been giving - in donations and fundraisers year-round - to keep people who are more in need afloat in this difficult time.” 

 

• Ursula and Ruwandi

“At our house, Christmas has always been intimate and about family. We spend the day eating great food and talking about the good times and having a hearty laugh. That’s just what we intend to do this year. It’s true we can’t go around as we usually do, but Christmas has always been an intimate affair and the changes aren’t those we can’t adapt to this year. While our Christmas Table will remain the same, we will miss a couple of faces around the table since we are keeping it small and intimate.”