Holi-Daze

Navigate your way out of the holiday blues

- Mia Castro

Growing up in a big family and an even bigger clan from both sides of my parents, Christmas is—or should I say was—always a huge event, filled with long conversations over good food, games and laughs. It’s that one time of the year when everyone can be together and live in the present. Setting up the Christmas tree, Simbang Gabi and Noche Buena are all the traditions I cherish deeply and look forward to in order to end the year on a good note. This year silence has taken hold of the night. With the pandemic ongoing and safety precautions remain a top priority, celebrations are small, with many still anxious and fearful.

When I woke up one day and headed downstairs to our kitchen, a sense of sadness washed over me as I looked around and saw that my mom had put up the Christmas tree and decorated the living room with red stockings and nutcracker statues. Normally I would feel giddy over the mere fact that our white plates have been replaced with the decorated ones, but now it just reminds me that I have to tell my loved ones that we have to spend the holidays apart this year. The best gesture of love and care we can give to another right now is to keep our distance. Realizing this gave me my first experience of holiday blues, wherein our Christmas lights now seem so small against a still and somber world.