We still need to celebrate during the pandemic

Just because we can’t do it the way we usually do, we shouldn’t stop trying

When Halloween was quote-unquote cancelled in the Greater Toronto Area on the advice of health authorities, children were primed to have a disappointing holiday. There would be candy, but no trick or treating. There would be costumes, but no parties.

But for everyone who gave up on the prospect of a Happy Halloween, there were others who got creative. Some parents set up treasure hunts. Others lit up fireworks. Industrious do-it-your-selfers installed a banister pipe or slide for safe candy exchanges. In certain suburbs where trick-or-treating wasn’t off the table, homeowners went to extra lengths to put on a special show. More so than other years, it was an event.

For at least a few kids, not only was Halloween not a disappointment—it was the best one yet. The little extra effort so many had made had gone a long way.

We at Rosehaven were among the first to acknowledge that this year has been really hard. But if you’re one of those people installing candy chutes, we’d bet you already knew that.

Still, the fact remains that with the holidays around the corner, this year isn’t going to get any easier.

On Thanksgiving weekend, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked everyone to make some sacrifices, gathering in more modest numbers or in their own households so we could all be back with our families by Christmas. Now, with COVID-19 case counts climbing and hospital capacity filling up, it’s clear that whatever your normal is, it’s not going to be here by the end of the year.

For some of us, it’ll tempting to shrug off public health advice—to break the rules just this once or twice—but when we decide to do that, we may be putting off “normal” a little longer.

What we need are new ways to celebrate. Some of them—like the family video calls, hand-delivered dinners, and small outdoor gatherings—may not be as enjoyable as what we’re used to. But some of them may be better. Perhaps, like Halloween, all it takes is a little extra time, attention, care and creativity. After all, that’s what the holidays are supposed to be about.

For over 25 years, Rosehaven Homes has brought our passion, attention and creativity to the communities we’ve built all over the GTA, and we’ve made a commitment to the health of new homeowners and our staff during this difficult time. Register to find out more about our upcoming communities and the measures we are taking to keep our community safe.

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