The spirit of Christmas, that feeling of empathy that takes us during this period, capable of changing us, as happened to the arid Scrooge of Dickens’ Christmas Carol touching his heart, where is it at the end of this year horribilis? The atmosphere is different from other years, this time health first of all is added to the classic words of good wishes, joy and serenity. The decorated tree which is one of the symbols of the holidays has been prepared for a long time. All over the world the trend, with the ever-present hashtag (#ChristmasInNovember) and famous testimonials such as Mariah Carey and the Ferragnez, was: decorate as early as November so that the house, which in recent months has become our world welcoming everything – work , study, cinema and more – you attract that contagious positivity of the holidays.
The white sign of hope and rebirth
It is no coincidence that white, a sign of hope and rebirth, is the dominant color for the glass balls and the lights that have been going crazy among the festoons for a couple of years, have become the luminous trail to attract positivity and recover that joy of which we are in 2020 in total abstinence. And white, with hints of gold and metal, is also the trendy color of these days according to the stylists’ proposals. It’s a different Christmas, with the anguish and mourning experienced by many families – we have reached around 60,000 dead and over 1.5 million worldwide – with the economic crisis gripping us, with the shopping streets with so many shutters closed, with the solidarity that the great difficulties of recent months have made a concrete and urgent practice still today. The measures for the containment of the pandemic require us to distance ourselves even at Christmas.
Distance yourself, but then how to do it?
Let’s try to study a way to save the holiday spirit and reinvent it. What is needed: creativity and a good internet connection! As happened during the dark days of the lockdown, a video call will unite us. The smartest families can organize video meetings on zoom, a choir of good wishes each from their own homes and perhaps from different cities will make us feel less alone with technology that brings us together as in front of an imaginary hearth. The houses inhabited in this year as never before, become a living nativity scene at Christmas. And then the children. «Despite the situation we are experiencing, it is essential that parents are able to recreate the magic and atmosphere of this holiday, respecting the rituality of traditions. In the meantime – explains the pedagogist Mariarosa Porro – we should invest in the time we have to spend at home, giving value to all those details that enrich the Christmas atmosphere».
Unwrapping presents can become “video company”
Even unwrapping presents can become a “video company” to share the moment with uncles, grandparents and friends who won’t be able to meet. The list of gifts is yet to be written but this year an Anglo-Saxon trend has entered by force here too, the Christmas matching pajamas: Christmas-themed pajamas and homewear declined for the whole family. If you then have the coordinated delivered to the home of friends and relatives, they exchange photos on Christmas morning all dressed in theme (the mythical reindeer sweater worn by Colin Firth in Bridget Jones reminds us of something) instead of hugs and live greetings. Engaging in the recovery of traditional family recipes will give us even more sense of important values as well as a nice walk among the lights. Addà passa a nuttata said Eduardo in Napoli Milionaria and in the sign of the great playwright we will spend the holidays: the new version of Christmas in the Cupiello house arrives on TV on Rai1 on the 25th directed by Edoardo De Angelis and a cast led by Sergio Castellitto.
Technology is definitely the protagonist
The same Santa Claus this year is even smarter. The project «Say it with Santa»launched by Visit Finland, also includes a private one-on-one session with him or meeting him live on social channels on December 11th. Even Robbie Williams thought about Christmas 2020 with a new version, “Can’t Stop Christmas”, of the classic namesake: Facetimes and Zoom, socks and hand sanitizers as perfect Christmas gifts, online shopping and social distancing. Imagine Christmas 2020 for all of us; trying to replace fear with hope.