For most of us walking this Earth, that’s the UnMerriest Christmas ever.

Argh, I’m sorry to be such a downer. Unfortunately, methinks if we don’t start planning now, this COVID Christmas might be quite a blue experience, when we should be celebrating all the whites and reds, the sparkly silvers and bright golds. So let’s pull ourselves together and get on it.

Not sure about your family and friends, but we’ve certainly been talking about how to manage it all. Let’s face it: staying safe and well is our number one priority right now. Unless we get a miracle of Christmas proportions, this blasted virus is going to stay with us for some time. But for most of us, there will be other Christmases. Making someone desperately ill could change everything.

At the risk of sharing too much information, what hubs and I have been worrying about is travelling to Manitoba to spend a few days with his family. Clearly, this is not on. We’d be either flying or driving (neither would be good) from a COVID zone to an even more dangerous COVID zone. Instead, as soon as it feels safe, we will go in 2021. Not surprisingly, his lovely family completely understands and supports this decision.

It better feel safe sometime in 2021, or I will lose my wig.

More difficult, decision-wise, is how to handle Christmas on the ground. I won’t get into my own circumstances in detail, to protect my family’s privacy.

But here’s a potential scenario. Let’s say there are more than 10 peeps who would really love to be together. As I write this, the rules say that no more than 10 people can congregate at one time. How do 15 people — or more — stay socially distant and safe in one house while eating turkey dinner?

And what if one or two of them have compromised immune systems? What’s more, not everyone is working from home; indeed, more of us are working in public settings than during the spring lockdown, and cases (as at end November) were spiking.

Well, you know all of this. I’m just saying this is going to be tricky.

It’s not just a matter of isolating by household, either. There’s gift shopping to do and food to buy. I expect many of us will avoid traipsing through stores and malls, and rightly so. But I hope people consider local businesses while making their giftbuying decisions. Besides, if you plan to order from Amazon or some other online retailer, it might already be too late for on-time delivery.

SO! You may have thought of these coping techniques already, but just in case. . .

1. Seek out businesses that will be more than happy to help you shop virtually for those prezzies and will deliver, or arrange for delivery yourself. Triple check clothing sizes and all will be well. If it’s not, oops; but it really is the thought that counts. Especially in 2020.

2. Make Zoom or Skype dates with your loved ones. Raise glasses bubbling over with fancy concoctions and toast each other. Eat plum pudding together. Okay, maybe not; that might get your keyboard all sticky. But share something special over the ethereal waves.

3. While you’re at it, open the sanitized and carefully-delivered gifts in clear view of each other. Then blow kisses. Having a wee weep is okay too, by the way.

4. Go do something outside or see something like the Enchanted Forest at the Forestry Farm Park. The Light Walk is cancelled, of course, but you can still drive through until Jan. 8. It’s as safe a Christmas activity as you’ll be able to find but be prepared for even longer-than-usual lineups. I am not the only person who has thought of this.

5. Addendum: If you participate in or attend a certain holiday activity every year, check to see if it’s going ahead or (hopefully) being performed or held online. For example, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra is performing online during COVID and has two Christmas performances coming up: A Night at the North Pole on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and A Candlelight Christmas from St. John’s Cathedral on Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Find digital tickets here: https:// saskatoonsymphony.org/season/

6. Consider helping someone in need; it will cheer you up. Need is even more extreme in our city, and everywhere, in the COVID era. The United Way, the YWCA, the Friendship Inn, the Food Bank, the Salvation Army and countless other charitable organizations will be grateful for anything you can give, from cash donations to warm coats to big honking turkeys.

7. Phone someone who will be alone. It may be the greatest gift of all during a COVID Christmas.

I’m having a little cry now. But I will buck up and try to make this the Merriest UnMerriest Christmas possible. A little love and ingenuity will go a very long way.

In that context, Merry Christmas, everyone. Stay safe. Be well. Love each other.

-Joanne Paulson