How The Pandemic Is Reshaping Our Holiday Traditions

Consider This from NPR

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🗓️ 25 December 2020

⏱️ 10 minutes

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Summary

Nothing could stop Christmas from coming. Not even a pandemic. But this year many of our holiday traditions look a bit different.

NPR business correspondent Alina Selyuk reports on how hand sanitizer and face masks have become popular stocking stuffers this year.

And we asked you to send in stories about how you're rethinking your celebrations as previous plans have been put on hold.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Mary Lopez and her family in California have been giving pandemic-inspired presents all year.
0:06.6	I had made a joke that if I want anything for my birthday, it's toilet paper because it was really scary there for a while.
0:13.8	Well, be careful what you wish for because her daughter obliged with an industrial-sized pack.
0:19.8	Lopez returned the favor with a themed gift basket.
0:22.9	I looked for months, but I got a big bottle of Chlorox cleaning spray, a thing of Chlorox wipes two wine glasses filled with candy and a bottle of wine.
0:35.7	All the essentials for a pandemic survival kit, which she is now giving out to friends as holiday gifts.
0:42.2	Lopez spoke with NPR Business Correspondent Alina Seljuk, and it wasn't hard to find others whose holiday gift giving has taken a very 2020 spin.
0:51.7	Like Ritesh Runjen in Northern Virginia, who's giving bulk-sized packs of sanitizing wipes to some friends who said they couldn't find any.
0:59.0	I wouldn't say it's a joke. It's kind of serious gift, hopefully it'll remind them of the concession we had had already.
1:05.3	He says he feels a little guilty about snatching up all those wipes.
1:08.9	Kathleen Murray in Virginia Beach is impressed he found any at all.
1:12.2	Maybe that person could put me on their Christmas list.
1:15.4	Murray made advent calendars for her family, little daily gifts, often chocolate, but this year they also include Christmas themed face masks and hand sanitizers.
1:25.0	Could you give anyone a gift like you want to give them safety?
1:28.2	Like I would love to be able to give them all the vaccine, but you obviously can't do that.
1:33.7	Consider this. Nothing could stop Christmas from coming, not even a pandemic, but this year many of our holiday traditions look a bit different.
1:45.2	From NPR, I'm Ari Shapiro. It's Friday, December 25th, Merry Christmas.
1:52.5	Hip hop and America's prisons have both grown exponentially. Is this a coincidence? Or is it by design? I'm Cindy Madden.
2:01.8	Listen now to louder than a riot. The new podcast from NPR Music, where we trace the collision of rhyme and punishment in America.
2:10.2	All 11 episodes are available right now. Go binge it.
2:14.4	It's considered this from NPR. We know you know that this year's Christmas isn't the same.
2:20.2	Even here at NPR, we have canceled our annual gift exchange and Chinese takeout, and there's a good chance your traditions have taken on a new shape too.
	...

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