After 18 months of health crisis, and facing a second Christmas in the middle of the pandemic, economic factors add to the stress of the holidays this year in France and other countries.
In France, a third of people feel sad and anxious rather than happy at the prospect of the Christmas holidays this year, according to a poll published on December 2 by the Ifop institute and the charity Dons Solidaires.
However, the health situation in France is possibly better than last year at this time. At the beginning of December 2020, France was in a state of total lockdown amid a second wave of the virus and there was debate over what kind of restrictions would have to be applied so that the end-of-year family reunions could take place.
This year, although daily cases are increasing rapidly and there are fears for the new Omicron variant, hospitalizations remain relatively low. Restaurants, shops and Christmas markets are still open and the end of the year holidays are expected to be held, for now, without restrictions.
But it’s still not the usual Christmas, says Suzanne Black, a clinical psychologist practicing in both France and the United States. “They gave us this hope that Christmas 2021 would be better, and we began to build a sense of relief. Well, here we are at Christmas and very recently we learned of another potentially more dangerous variant of the virus,” he told France 24.
Black described this as a “rude awakening” from pandemic fatigue. “We tend to forget that it is still a time of necessary vigilance. Now, once again, we have to reassess how we assess risk and whether we should go ahead with our vacation plans.”
Due to the health crisis, many of us are already living with feelings of “despair, loss of control and grief about how we lived before the pandemic,” Black added. At Christmas time these feelings can seem even more poignant, and the family tensions of seasonal gatherings – the potential for disagreements, disappointments and frustrated expectations – can be exacerbated by the health crisis. Not only do we now face the fear of getting sick, but this can be aggravated by the animosity of loved ones who do not agree on how to manage security measures.
The added stress of this year is not only felt in France. In U.S.A., A study revealed that 43% of people expected the 2021 holiday season to be more stressful than the previous one, and a Harris Poll poll conducted in October for the American Psychological Association revealed that nearly a third of adults (32%) said they are sometimes so anxious about the coronavirus that they have a hard time making basic decisions. And in the UK, a weekly survey A national mood tracking survey shows that since the summer, levels of happiness have dropped, while stress and sadness have risen.
“This is a collective cross-cultural trauma,” says Black. “Holidays are times to reunite with loved ones and there is great anticipation for the good times to be shared, but there is no respite for the grassroots anxiety caused by the pandemic.”
Supply chain concern
Added to this basic anxiety this December are the unusual economic circumstances caused by the health crisis.
The supply chain crisis, which has caused shortages of products, from wood to microchips, around the world, is already affecting people’s Christmas plans. Already in September, the American Christmas Tree Association encouraged consumers to buy trees in advance because of “a number of trends influencing the supply of live and artificial Christmas trees across the country.” The retail boom in November indicated that shoppers had taken notice and started shopping for Christmas products in advance to combat fears of supplies running out. Still, many have found that, due to increased shipping costs and high demand, the prices of all kinds of items have gone up. Only artificial Christmas trees are a 20-30% more expensive this year than last.
A YouGov poll in the UK it revealed that people were equally concerned about supply chain problems; They rated not being able to give gifts due to out-of-stock or late delivery as annoying as the idea of another strict restriction being announced. The only potential Christmas restriction that would upset people the most was the idea of not being able to see close family.
The rising cost of living
In the US, UK and France the cost of living has risen at an exceptional rate, with rising spending on fuel, food and other goods affecting family budgets. In October 2021, the inflation rate reached record highs in the United States and the United Kingdom. In France, where inflation increased by 2.6%, three quarters of the citizens They stated that their purchasing power had decreased as a result. With some of the biggest price increases in gas and electric bills, 66 percent of people said they were trying to use less heat and hot water at home, and 58 percent were cutting expenses. additional.
It is not surprising, then, that two months later the same financial pressure affects citizens’ Christmas plans. In a survey, just over half of the French They said they would have to buy smaller Christmas gifts this year than they expected, and 29% of parents said they wouldn’t be able to buy gifts at all, up from 20% last year. Also, in the United Kingdom, 36% of parentsAlready under financial pressure, they told the Action for Children charity that they felt more pressure to give their children a Merry Christmas this year, due to the cancellation of last year’s celebrations.
“This year families have faced the double blow of the pandemic – many people have lost income, may have been laid off, may have lost their jobs – and now they are entering winter and facing massive price hikes.” Joe Lane, head of policy and research for the charity, told France 24. “They are concerned about fuel and energy prices in particular, but also about the price of food. Heading into Christmas, the families are obviously desperate to afford a family Christmas, especially families with children. ” The pressure of trying to provide this often means that parents themselves are left with nothing, working overtime to make ends meet. “All of that weighs on the mood of the people,” Lane said.
Despite financial concerns surrounding the holidays this year, in France the most important factor For a good Christmas it is to be able to spend time with the family, an option that for now remains.
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal promised last week that the French could celebrate the holidays “without reintroducing any restrictions for the variant”, before immediately clarifying that the current rules could be modified if necessary. A meeting of the Covid-19 Defense Council will be held on Monday to see if this continues.
A flexible attitude towards Christmas plans this year – anywhere in the world – might be the most prudent approach.
“We have to accept this new reality of living with the virus and learn to accept uncertainty as a fact of life,” Black said. Despite the inevitable sadness that a shortened Christmas season can bring, she advised us to “focus on the moment and gratitude for what we have in our lives.”
Article by Joanna York, adapted from her original in English.
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