COVID Christmas Depression

Luke 2:8-10 – And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

For many people, the Christmas season can be difficult.
 

• Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one recently and it will be your first Christmas without them.
• Perhaps you’ve moved and are still trying to make new friends and miss your families even more for Christmas.

 
And perhaps it’s Christmas 2020 and you are suffering from COVID Christmas depression.
 
Things will certainly be different this year.
 

• You have so many memories of Christmas’ gone by and want to do things as they’ve been in the past.
• There will be no large gatherings of family and friends and only a gathering of your immediate family.
• You can’t even do your usual Christmas shopping as we are supposed to be socially distant from others and you can’t do that in a busy mall.
• Then there’s the joy of cooking for others. How do you scale down your meal to just your immediate family? What about all of the cookies and pies you used to bake?
• What about the bottles of sparkling apple cider waiting to be opened?
• What about the joy of not just shopping for presents, but wrapping them on Christmas Eve and then sneaking them under the Christmas tree while your children sleep?

 
As silly as this may seem - What if your children ask you about Santa Claus and wonder if he come down the chimney this year with everybody so sick?
 
All of these are valid reasons to feel a bit blue. But let’s back track the thoughts above and brainstorm what we could do to help bring joy to your Christmas.
 

• Memories of Christmas past won’t be repeated, but this will be a unique Christmas and you’ll have lots to tell children and grandchildren in the future the ways you found joy even under the circumstances of COVID.
• Perhaps there won’t be large gatherings, but smaller ones do allow for some intimate times with your spouse and children. Try finding art projects like taking Christmas cards and turning them into trees or cutting up the cards and gluing the pictures onto construction paper. Maybe it means making Christmas ornaments and writing the things you’re thankful for this Christmas on the back. And there’s always the thought of creating Zoom rooms where you won’t be physically together but still be able to see one another. Or have your extended family and friends make videos of their Christmas decorations and share them with you.
• Perhaps you can’t do your usual Christmas shopping at the mall, but you can order things online and have them delivered before Christmas or you can mail out gift cards.
• And all of that baking and food, fix it anyway then share it with a neighbor, new friend, or those who are housebound. You can knock on their door and leave a box of food. Just be sure to watch to make sure that they take the items inside so that the food doesn’t get spoiled.
• Part of that sparkling apple cider can be served to your family and the rest can be stored for another year.
• You can still wrap your presents on Christmas Eve and surprise your little ones in the morning. And you can tell them that Santa will still come down the chimney because he’s healthy and doesn’t get sick easy, plus no one is in the room when he arrives so he will be socially distanced.

 
You don’t have to let COVID bring with it Christmas depression. There are many ways there can still be joy this Christmas. And fun ways to make new memories.
 
Mayoclinic.org in their article, “Stress, Depression and the Holidays: Tips for Coping,” provides us with more ideas on coping with depression such as reaching out to others if you are lonely or isolated. Many churches and community centers have ways to help you feel like you’re not alone. In addition, be realistic. Realize that Christmas will indeed be different this year, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing as I wrote above.
 
Take a look at the Bible verses above. The shepherds were afraid when they saw the angel but they didn’t have to be afraid because they were given the best news they’d heard before and they were filled with joy. Don’t be afraid this Christmas to find the joy even if you’re afraid of what this COVID Christmas will look like.
 
Key words: COVID, Christmas depression, difficult Christmas, unique ideas for Christmas, make new memories

Learn more