Thanksgiving only recently passed, but the warm (or rather, cold) embrace of the Holiday season has already taken over. Perhaps what people are really thankful for on Thanksgiving is the chance to start celebrating the late December Holidays. And as the weather gets colder, the signs that the Holidays are here grow more prominent.

On the roadways, cars with a Christmas tree strapped atop have become commonplace. Zita’s Christmas Trees located in the back parking lot of Zita’s ice cream opened just recently, selling the conifer to local residents of New Providence and Berkeley Heights and spreading holiday cheer.

At Short Hills Mall, the annually set up Christmas display with Santa’s sleigh has taken its place, attracting customers with pictures with Santa (socially distanced of course).

In New Providence’s Village Shopping Center, the street lamps are adorned with wreaths and only a short distance further down Springfield more decorations can be seen at Centennial Park. Although we were unable to celebrate the New Providence Diversity Committee’s annual lighting of the Community Tree and Night of 1000 Stars as we normally would, the lights of the Community Tree and surrounding decorations on the pavilion still light up the night.

Within our own homes, the holiday spirit has taken over as well. Taking a glance out onto the street over the past few weeks, you can observe neighbors adorning their homes with strings of shimmering lights and the occasional reindeer taking its place on lawns. In my own home, we just set up our lights this past weekend! As nights grow colder and days get shorter, New Providence is illuminated with these lights, a feeling that one can only behold this time of year.

Now that everyone is in the holiday spirit, how will celebrations function? Mass Thanksgiving celebrations were discouraged by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and with COVID cases only continuing to rise in the nation and in New Providence, things are not looking great for late-December holiday celebrations. Even though the COVID vaccine co-developed by companies Pfizer and BioNTech was recently approved, it will take time for the product to have its effect on society.

As of right now, the CDC says: “Celebrating virtually or with members of your own household (who are consistently taking measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19) poses the lowest risk of spread . . . gatherings that bring together family members or friends from different households, including college students returning home, pose varying levels of risk”.

The key takeaway here? Keep your celebrations small and personal, and beware of the risks of inviting over guests.

The CDC also provides provisions for hosting a gathering, including: check local infection rates, limit the number of attendees, have outdoor gatherings if possible, avoid crowded space, increase ventilation, wear masks, and provide proper self hygiene products (hand soap, single-use towels, and hand sanitizer). Visit the CDC website for more information at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html.

So even as the embrace of the holidays grows stronger, don’t let yourself be carried away, celebrate responsibly, and Happy Holidays!