This year has been a rollercoaster ride with hardly anything going according to plan for anyone. But this year also taught us to be grateful for being alive and to survive. Even though it feels like yesterday when everything hit a reef, the year is coming to an end and Christmas is just around the corner.

 

Usually, around this time, cake mixing ceremonies will kick things off for the season and the whole city will be decorated with lights and everything nice, turning it into a fairyland. But this time it is quite different, with restrictions in place and with the genuine concern for safety, nothing can be the same. So we asked around to see how people are celebrating Christmas this year and this is what they shared with us.

 

“Our Christmas is built around everyone gathering in our grandmother’s place in Wennappuwa with all our cousins and exchanging gifts and having a small celebration. But this year, we are not sure if we can go all the way there and even if we do, not everyone will be there. Because some of our cousins are still abroad waiting to come back to Sri Lanka because of the travel restrictions and those who came are still in quarantine, so they won’t be able to join either. Also, a family decision was taken to not exchange gifts because, given the situation, we can’t go shopping. But still, despite all that, we will go see our grandmother and meet the family who aren’t quarantined and have a merry little Christmas with just us.”

 

“Christmas is my favourite holiday of the year and I look forward to coming home each year for Christmas. That’s what keeps me going throughout the year. Unfortunately, this year, because of the travel restrictions due to the pandemic, I was not able to come back to Sri Lanka and I was heartbroken. I was planning to celebrate with my friends here and had started making Christmas cake as well. But to my surprise, my boss gave me permission to go home and work remotely from Sri Lanka for a few weeks, so I’m planning to come back soon. I will be somewhere in quarantine during Christmas, but I’m so happy to get to see my family again soon after a long year.“

 

“This year, my Christmas will be spent indoors. Last year I strolled through the city with my friends, enjoying the beautiful decorations and the masterpieces the Colombo hotels and shopping malls had put forth. But this year, I thought it’s better to not go and socialize and spend it at home. I will decorate my house with cute little ornaments and make a few festive meals, select a few Christmas movies and watch them while enjoying the food cosied up in my room.”

 

“I am currently working at the District Base Hospital in Dikoya and holidays are most of the time a distant scene with my profession. My second appointment for the internship starts next week and I will be spending Christmas in the hospital, helping mothers give birth to their babies. Even though I won’t be home for Christmas, I think that is a great way to spend Christmas, to help in bringing life on to earth.”

 

“My Christmases are almost always built around giving back in some way but this year I was able to organize a big project with the Ashinsa Organization. They have two homes being operated under their wing, with a total of 155 differently-abled children. The two homes are Meth Sewa Foundation in Handapangala and Sathutu Children’s Home in Anuradhapura. Generally, we take rations and medicine for them, but this time around we thought of bringing Christmas to them. We will be taking beautiful colourful gifts to the children’s home, so even the children who cannot see can at least get a glimpse of it. We will be taking grooming products such as shampoo, as that’s what the young girls have been asking for. Giving back to society in any way I can, brings me great joy and seeing their faces light up cannot compare to anything.” 

 

Everyone is trying to cope and celebrate in their own way. Let’s stay safe this Christmas and defeat the virus!