Spending the festive season in lockdown is something I never want to experience again lol, leave that mess in 2020. I heard certain dudes couldn’t spend Christmas with their girlfriends ‘cos they were locked up with their wife and kids, sounds rough. And with non-essential stores closed in the U.K., I’m sure every other person received either gift vouchers or those 3 for 2 gift sets from these supermarkets… and lemme not be a hypocrite ‘cos I unapologetically gifted both. Lynx Africa vibes. I also received a pair of novelty socks too; *life-hack* the older you get, the more you appreciate socks as a gift – not too sure what the correlation is. I think when I become a father that’ll extend to ties and hardback notebooks too so I’m prepping myself in advance. In fact, this Christmas I received the most practical gifts in the history of practical gifts! Things I never knew I needed but will actually improve my day to day. I was worried I’d be spending my Boxing Day on eBay and Facebook Marketplace trying to recoup my losses.
One thing I will say is that the novelty of Christmas has well and truly worn off. Maybe it’s because there’s no longer a designated Christmas break for me. Gone are the good ol’ days of time off during the festive period, now I’m getting Christmas and Boxing Day off only to get stuck right back into work the next day. Turkey and stuffing changes to Zoom calls and deadlines real quick; no time for enjoyment during employment. Or maybe it’s because I can’t remember the last time we’ve had a ‘White Christmas’… we’ve had a cold Christmas, we’ve even had a few wet and windy ones in recent times! Unfortunately we’ve just experienced our first COVID Christmas, but a white one has eluded me for so long that I’m starting to think that was all fairy-tale. If global warming has anything to do with it, Christmas in the U.K. is gonna start feeling like Dubai… ‘cos Lord knows Dubai is already starting to feel like the U.K.!
Having my own place really makes a difference too. I remember waking up to the smell of food ‘cos my mum and sister were slaving in the kitchen at all hours in the morning. Periodically sneaking in pretending to help out but really I was trying to steal meat from the pot and Supermalt from the fridge without getting caught. Snapping all the food on my Snapchat only to go back to my room moments later and lie to my followers like I had some sort of involvement to the meal. One time my ‘cooking skills’ were getting rave reviews but little did they know I was doing “can you cover me” then throwing over the apron like I was on a stall at Albert Square. This year I woke up and it felt like any other Friday. Celebrating Christmas yet my fridge was looking like Ramadan. I’m out here doing astaghfirallah and chill until the long drive over to mums. That bittersweet feeling when you forget your containers at home and now you don’t know how you’re gonna pack all that food to bring back.
Having my own place really makes a difference too. I remember waking up to the smell of food ‘cos my mum and sister were slaving in the kitchen at all hours in the morning
I guess this is all part and parcel of getting older. I think the next time I truly get that festive buzz is when I have a family of my own… or when we’re in a post-COVID world, whichever comes first if I’m honest. Especially when Boxing Day comes around, consumerism creeps in. And the less I care about shopping and gifts, the less appealing these festivities are to me. I’ve been seeing Christmas ads since late September, I’m tired bro! Halloween came and went yet Christmas is sticking around longer than the Bounty in a tub of Celebrations. But I guess it’s a welcomed distraction to a year where things have been a little… different. It’s been a challenging year for us all and now more than ever is the time to share love, positivity and support with one another. Make sure you check-in on your friends and family, especially those who’ve been isolating over this Christmas period. Hoping 2021 is a much more positive year… that’s not gonna be too hard aye!
I’ve attached a link to the World Health Organisation’s advice on Coronavirus, symptoms to be made aware of and how to avoid catching or spreading the virus. It’ll take a collective effort to reduce the spread, let’s all do our collective part.
Joe
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