When most people think about Halloween, they think about carved pumpkins. Kids in costumes asking for candy. And, they probably think about almost everything spooky. 

I think about Chinese food. 

Now, I realize that may seem random. So I will explain. But first let me say,

Holidays don’t always have to be what they’ve always been.

This is something my mom taught us growing up. By doing so, whether she knew it or not, she created for us some incredible memories. And, it all began with Halloween.

When I was a baby, my mom became a Christian. Not the go-to-church-every-Sunday kind of Christian she had always been—rather, she met Jesus in a life-changing way. And by life-changing, I mean it sent her on a journey of figuring out exactly what it looked like to follow Christ in her everyday life. Only it also led her and her friends down a path for a season where it looked like following a lot of rules.

One of these rules was to stay away from that which could be associated with anything considered satanic, including Halloween. This meant, me and my sisters couldn’t go trick-or-treating. Only instead of just doing away with costumes and candy, my mom and her friends decided to do something different: 

The night of Halloween, all our families would go out for Chinese food.

As one of four kids, going to a sit down restaurant was a rare occurrence for me. Getting to have an entire table for just me, my friends, and my sisters in a restaurant—didn’t happen. Unless it was Halloween, which made it feel so special.

For many Halloweens during our growing up years, we went to the same Chinese restaurant with our friends. We sat at “the kid’s table,” and used a million sugar packets to sweeten the bottomless tea they served in those little metal tea pots. We ate egg rolls, and plates of pork fried rice, and sweet and sour chicken.

Halloween became one of my favorite nights of the year. 

Yet we were celebrating differently than many of our peers. 

This year, we are all struggling over what the holidays are going to look like because of the pandemic. Some of us are feeling stress this very instance because we don’t know if we should take our kids trick-or-treating. Others of us are already stressing about taking a plane to see family over the holidays because we don’t want to expose our compromised loved ones to anything we may pick up on our travels. 

The Holidays are one more reminder of how COVID has changed our lives.

But if there is one thing my mom’s Fundamentalist Christian phase taught me, it is that we don’t have to give up joy or connection, just because our usual way of doing things isn’t currently possible or easy. There are so many ways we can be creative this season—for our kids, our loved ones, and even ourselves—to celebrate what is most important. 

We don’t have to give up joy or connection, just because our usual way of doing things isn’t currently possible or easy.

It is true, this season we may have to grieve some of our most treasured traditions. Only it is also possible that in this time, we may create new ones that will be with us for years to come. Friends, don’t feel guilty if you can’t do what you’ve always done, just show up the best you can and know that is enough.

What holiday traditions are you already stressing about?

How could this year’s celebrations look different in a way that still brings you and your loved ones joy?

Have you too, struggled with finding focus since the Pandemic? Are you having a hard time feeling productive because you feel mentally exhausted? Sign up for my email list today, and receive a free copy of my Six Ways to Find Focus in a Pandemic. It will help you find your footing again.

Photo by Bekir Dönmez on Unsplash