海角大神

Corritta Lewis of Oceanside, California, has a huge extended family. Her mom is one of 12 siblings. Usually, Christmas means that she, her wife, and their 2-year-old son dig out their cold-weather gear for the schlep to Ohio and days of holiday chaos.

Not this year.

鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to be saving money, spending more time together, and to just have a less stressful holiday,鈥� said the human resources analyst. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to deal with the crowded airports, stores, and overall mania that the holiday brings. We鈥檙e going to lie in our pajamas and watch movies all day.鈥�

Shannon O鈥橰eilly usually travels back home to New Jersey at Christmas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 鈥渁nd it never, ever feels like a vacation.鈥� She and her husband both have large extended families. Trying to squeeze in visits with all of them leaves little meaningful face time for any, she said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e constantly house hopping and never really feel settled when we go back up there. Quite frankly, as soon as we land on the tarmac in Newark, we both look at each other every time and say, 鈥榃hy are we doing this?鈥欌�澛�

This year, it will be just the two of them in 80-degree weather with 鈥渮ero familial obligations.鈥�

Though Thanksgiving pleas to stay put were ignored by thousands, and authorities fear the same for Christmas and New Year鈥檚, many around the world are gleefully looking forward to spending the December holidays at home without the expense, family drama, and travel headaches they normally endure.

Some plan to use the money they save to buy gifts for those in need as coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations rage on nearly 10 months into the pandemic.

Many who stayed home during Thanksgiving to keep safe already experienced the restfulness of opting out of holiday madness, said Maryanna Klatt, a professor of clinical family medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and a facilitator of mindfulness classes.

鈥淲hat has emerged is that many people discovered something via the Thanksgiving restriction of gathering with less people 鈥� they loved it. They thought they would feel a huge sense of loss from the inability to travel and the typical gathering with larger groups,鈥� she said.

Participants in her classes reported less anxiety without extended family and friends around, and deeper, more meaningful conversations with the smaller numbers left around them.

鈥淐OVID-19 and its ensuing collateral damage may have some realizations that sculpt future behavior, and not all in a negative way. We just need to have our eyes open to these surprising realizations,鈥� Ms. Klatt said, falling short of the 鈥渟ilver lining鈥� cliche.

As it did for Thanksgiving, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging people to avoid travel during the December holidays while the pandemic continues to surge. For those who don鈥檛 heed the call, the CDC recommends travelers get tested for COVID-19 before and after their trips. Testing before travel is critical to help stave off asymptomatic spread of the virus, warns Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator.

On the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Rosalin Siv can鈥檛 say she鈥檚 happy to be missing her annual holiday trip to Southern California with her husband and 4-year-old son to visit her parents, siblings, and extended family and friends.

But she鈥檚 relieved.

鈥淭his year I鈥檓 pregnant, and the thought of juggling a busy work schedule with holiday and family activities is more stressful than usual,鈥� said Ms. Siv, the founder of an online bakery. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 say I鈥檒l miss all the logistics.鈥�

There鈥檚 the 5- to 6-hour plane trip, for one, requiring numerous activities and snacks to keep their child calm and contented in transit.

The sentiments are shared around the world.

Ben Taylor lives on the Kent coastline of southeast England with his wife and two kids, ages 6 and 2. He calls their normal Christmas holiday a 鈥渃razy magical mystery tour鈥� that lasts about a week. They usually travel by car, about four hours, to visit relatives and old friends in Norfolk.

鈥淚鈥檝e always felt a little envious because it feels like we visit house after house where people are relaxing, whilst not getting to do the same thing ourselves,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ell, now it鈥檚 our turn!鈥�

Vaccines for COVID-19 are on the way, but they won鈥檛 come in time to save Christmas for most. Dr. Birx and other virus experts couldn鈥檛 be clearer about the need to avoid travel and large gatherings, along with hugging and kissing loved ones outside of one鈥檚 protective social bubble.

Nicoletta Barbata is an Italian who鈥檚 been living on the Greek island of Santorini for nearly four years. Christmas is usually her one and only trip home to Milan every year.

鈥淚 usually stay for four to six weeks,鈥� said the single Ms. Barbata. 鈥淢y time back to Milan is devoted to catching up with my family and friends, spending time with my parents, and meeting friends all over Italy who I haven鈥檛 seen for months.鈥�

While she鈥檒l 鈥渄eeply miss鈥� the trip this year, she鈥檒l happily make do with the friends she鈥檚 made in Greece.

鈥淚鈥檓 a person who always tries to see the positive side of every situation,鈥� Ms. Barbata said.

Christmas is tinged with sadness this year for Holly Nordenberg in Madison, Wisconsin.

鈥淢y grandfather passed away from COVID last month,鈥� said the mom of two girls, ages 3 and 5.

With their patriarch gone, Ms. Nordenberg said the usual extended family get-together with up to 40 people back home in Rock Island, Illinois, may not happen, regardless of whether she goes.

There are other reasons why she鈥檚 fine not returning.

鈥淚鈥檝e been dreading our Christmas gathering this year because of the political climate and how polarized my family is regarding politics,鈥� Ms. Nordenberg said.

Instead, she, her husband and their kids will focus on 鈥済ratitude and baking鈥� at home.

鈥淚鈥檓 honestly looking forward to a quiet holiday season,鈥� Ms. Nordenberg said. 鈥淲e have all our decorations up, a pantry full of baking supplies, and we鈥檙e finding ways to really appreciate how fortunate we are each day.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽

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