The international borders are still closed so our families couldn’t travel over to celebrate Christmas with us this year. However, celebrations must still go on since we have plenty of things to be thankful. In the spirit of Christmas, here are 12 reasons to celebrate this season with a cheer:
- COVID-19 Vaccine. The UK is the first Western country to allow mass inoculations with the COVID-19 vaccine – a big leap for mankind towards hope.
- Short-term but positive impacts on the environment during lockdowns. Many popular natural places like reefs, beaches, and forests are given the time to breathe and recover due to less tourism this year. With the considerably reduced planned travels, a direct impact on energy use and greenhouse gas was evident and thus, a huge decline in air and water pollution was observed.
- Drive-in movie theatres made a comeback. This outdoor experience came back in many countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and America. Something that I always wish to experience as this is how my parents dated during their time.
- Yummy home-made desserts. Restaurants and bakeries all around the world shared their secret recipes so we could easily make them at home.
- Old hobbies are revived. Many folks rediscovered their old hobbies like sewing, embroidery, reading, gardening, and baking. Likewise, board games and puzzles became popular again for home recreation.
- Community spirit is raised to the next level. Everywhere in the world, neighbours started to care more for each other. Some even offered to purchase groceries for elders and those who are in the high-risk groups to lessen their risk of exposure.
- Global teamwork across the industries. Companies came together to produce masks, ventilators, and other medical equipment necessary to meet the demands of the hospitals.
- Communication became more accessible to everyone. People from all ages learned how to use different platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime to communicate with others. Communication through the internet has become vital and more precious to many since they are separated by borders and distance from their loved ones and families.
- Correct handwashing is given high importance. As young as two years old, people started to learn (or re-learn) to wash their hands properly and to maintain proper hygiene. Kids finally stopped stuffing stray boogie into their mouths!
- Greater appreciation and respect for our educators. Parents around the world are driven to the brinks of insanity when they are kept indoors with their kids during the lockdown. This year is the best time to thank our teachers, parents, and guardians for their patience and perseverance. Likewise, this pandemic also made a greater emphasis on the importance of family bonding and work-life balance.
- Spotlight on local companies. We started to become more aware of how our purchasing ways affect our local businesses. Local businesses have innovated to become viable to survive during the lockdown which includes offering takeouts and deliveries for F&B, setting up web stores, and providing virtual tours of physical tourist attractions.
- Unending support and gratitude to our frontliners. Nurses, doctors, police officers, emergency response teams, and those other frontliners that are not mentioned here should always be celebrated as the real heroes for all their sacrifices to keep us safe and protected during this pandemic.
“Christmas gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us.” – David Cameron
And as we celebrate this season, we must reflect about this year and be thankful that we are surviving. Besides showing gratitude and appreciation, we must always remember that there will always be someone less fortunate than us, someone without warmth, someone without shelter, someone without a full tummy, and someone without their loved ones. So always be kind and generous to every people you meet!
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, you totally deserved it.
MiddleMe 
Merry Christmas, Kally! God bless you and your family!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Ryan! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great humane post and God will recue all who are hindred by evil governments!
*Merry Christmas*
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great humane post and God will recue all who are hindred by evil governments!
*Merry Christmas*
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen
LikeLiked by 1 person
God 100%
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Van Prince. Merry Christmas.
LikeLike
Merry Christmas
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLike
I wish you with all my heart a Merry Christmas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a lot. I also hope you enjoy it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas
LikeLiked by 3 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Nelson MCBS.
LikeLiked by 1 person
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLike
Merry christmas dear🥳🎉🎊❤️
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLike
Kally, I wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas!
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Narendra.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Kally! 🙋♂️How are you? Hope all is well.😃
Wishing you and your family Merry Christmas 💐 from the bottom of my heart💞. Spend this day surrounded by your loved ones!
With loads of Love 💝
Simon & Nisha
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones. Thank you, Simon and Nisha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
✨💝
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! I never thought of the rejuvenation of the environment during these lock downs. That’s a great point. Merry Christmas to you all. Christ is born!
LikeLiked by 3 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLike
Amen. Thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas Kally 🌲🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Ally!
LikeLike
Christmas Blessings MiddleMe. ✌🏾
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas 💓
LikeLiked by 1 person
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLike
I was very pleased by number 9, but then I realised it wasn’t ‘Correct handwriting is given high importance’. Well, it should be!
Merry Christmas to you and all your readers, Kally.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Lol! May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Gregory!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great reminder and a good summary. Outdoor cinema has obviously never been a thing in Britain; evenings too light in summer and it’s too cold in winter. However my neighbours took their children to an old airfield in the New Forest and everybody in their cars to watch Frozen 2. Best wishes for 2021.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Frozen 2 is awesome! We watched that yesterday. May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLike
Merry Christmas Kally, yes we have lots to be thankful for. Have a wonderful festive break with your own family. This time together is precious.
LikeLiked by 3 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Ute!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas from Germany!
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones. With love from Malaysia!!
LikeLike
Merry Christmas 🎄
LikeLiked by 1 person
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Mr Yasshdeep.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve obviously taken the time to really think about all we can be thankful for, and written a beautiful list for all of us to meditate on. Many thanks for your ongoing excellent blog, and very best heartfelt wishes to you and all your loves ones 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Bea!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Kally. Merry Christmas!
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, RJ!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas Now
Ever Green Year ‘Round
Breathing Love
For No
Other
Reason
Than Joy Seeing🌲☺️
LikeLiked by 3 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas to you
LikeLiked by 3 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Nissi!
LikeLike
This is a lovely positive Christmas post, Kally. It’s exactly what I needed this morning. A Huge Thanks and an even heartier Merry Christmas. Wishing the world a Better 2021 than what 2020 has given us to date. (At least, so far, the world is at war with COVID and not each other.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Pat. Big hugs. All we need now is the whole world to behave and work towards vaccines!
LikeLike
Having lived in Mongolia in 2013, I was amazed at the change in air pollution in 2020! By late autumn the haze over Ulaanbataar gets so thick sometimes you can barely see a city block away! This year the pictures of UB show amazing clarity. So every cloud does have a silver lining. https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/mongolia-finds-a-silver-living-in-the-covid-19-crisis/
The lives lost and the disruptions to families has been tragic, but those who are surviving must learn to do more than JUST survive. We must reclaim the promise that Jesus gave, “I am come that you might have life, and that more abundantly.”
Merry Christmas, my friend, to you and your family.
c.a.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know about Ulaanbataar. My husband traveled there for business every year and he mentioned that each year in passing, the pollution gets worse. Hopefully, this year it gets so much better.
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, CA Post.
LikeLike
Wish you a Merry Christmas 🌲 and a Happy New Year (in advance 😊)!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Kashvee!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Joyful Christmastime to all of you 🎄⛄♥️
Ciao
Sid
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Sid!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy holidays and all the best to you for the new year
❄⛄🎄🎅🎄⛄❄
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Graham!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas Kelly 🌲
Wonderful post with so much positive attitude!
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Deeksha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas toy you and yours too, Kally! Enjoy the silence! Michael
LikeLiked by 2 people
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Michael!
LikeLike
Great words Kally
Merry Christmas to one and all from Mr. Ohh!
Spread Holiday Laughter
LikeLiked by 1 person
May you have a wonderful and beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, Mr Ohh!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas, Kally. 🎄❄🐧⛄
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you and same to you, dear friend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas to you too
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you!
LikeLike
Dear Kally, you are a veru special person. Thank you for your words 🙂 Happy holidays to you and your family
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much, sweet Paola. Merry Christmas dear friend and happy holidays.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Merry Christmas, Shelly!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great post Kelly! Merry Christmas!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much, Diana. Merry Christmas!
LikeLike
Beautiful reflections. There is hope and plenty to be grateful for. Happy holidays to you and your family!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. Happy holidays and warm blessings to you and your family.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on worldtraveller70.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Such a great post, Kally.👌
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! Hope you are having fun during this holiday.
LikeLike
Happy holidays and Happy New Year, 🙂.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much! Hope you are having fun during this holiday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enough. But i prefer Easter that Christmas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It sure had its positive sides. Thank you for reminding me 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much! Hope you are having fun during this holiday.
LikeLike
A fantastic list of things to celebrate! Hope you had a Merry Christmas! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! Hope you are having fun during this holiday.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing this list. In 2020 I found that my friends, family wrote more letters, and sent more care packages it was always such a delight to give and receive such a beautiful simple gift.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! Hope you are having fun during this holiday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas, Kally! Hope yours was wonderful, and that the holidays continue to provides reasons to celebrate.
Your list was a good one, and is full of welcome reminders of why we have lots of reasons to smile, even in 2020.
If nothing else, COVID proves nothing lasts and nothing is inevitable. Very well, but doesn’t that restriction apply to COVID too? When Christmas comes around again at the end of the year, the holidays just won’t be the same as they were in 2020. Things are gonna have to change, at not always for the worse.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for such an inspiring insight and yes, Covid will end eventually! Hope you are having fun during this holiday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy holidays 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! Hope you are having fun during this holiday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, you too 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas, Kally! May the new year, bring abundant blessings!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! Hope you are having fun during this holiday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas! I wish you a fantastic 2021.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much! Hope you are having fun during this holiday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello ♥️🐈 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ❣️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas to you too!
LikeLike
Nice post.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much.
LikeLike
So nice! There have been some positives this year! It’s good to see that something bad can always bring good things well. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
Thank you so much for your comment, Benjamin. I hope you are having a wonderful time with your family.
LikeLike
Welcome, and thanks. I hope and wish the same for you. Have a great new year!
LikeLiked by 1 person