New Jerseyans Think COVID-19 Will Change Holiday Plans This Year

The holidays are over 6 months away, but people are already starting to think about how the coronavirus could effect the way they celebrate.

Over half of New Jerseyans think they will be spending the holidays away from their extended family this year according to christmas.co.uk. Their study shows that NJ is slightly less optimistic about family holiday time that other Americans.

This surprises me because my friends and coworkers are visiting family for porch and patio hangouts all over NJ. Ah, they must be part of the 47% of people who told christmas.co.uk that they will absolutely break the rules to visit family if the lockdown goes back into effect at the end of this year.

It’s interesting to see how different people are handling the rules of social distancing and wearing masks. A lot of it comes down to a person’s general approach to life...careful vs. carefree.

My brother went to a small outdoor wedding over the weekend. He agreed to go because his wife assured him that they would social distance and wear masks.

Although they had a strategy in place, his wife ended up caving in.  (I think her quote was, "How could I not hug the bride?"  My brother said people were shaking hands. Hugging each other. And even kissing each other.

As soon as my brother and his wife left the wedding, he said they dowsed themselves in anti-bac, but he is still afraid he may have been exposed to the coronavirus.

It's tough because you don't want to disappoint friends and family, but you also want to be safe.

I can't say what I'll do or how I'll feel come Thanksgiving or Christmas comes along. Let's just hope that we don't have to worry about making that decision.

To check out the complete survey mentioned above, click here.