Holidays are hands-down some of the best times of the year, and the thing that really makes them special is spending time with your family and friends. However, for many college students this year (myself included) this spring looks very different from normal. Instead of going home for spring break, students have to try and live out their traditions in their dorms and through the phone.
Let’s be honest here. It sucks.
Personally I am having a much smaller Easter celebration than normal and will be seeing my family through a screen instead of around the dinner table. It’s weird and nowhere near as fun as it would be otherwise.
There is no magic fix for the problem. No matter how well we adjust to an online world it will never be the same as years past. And while I can attend Church here at UMass on my own, it’s not the one I have grown up going to with my parents. It’s a weird experience and one that a lot of people are dealing with regardless of their personal faith or traditions.
Some of my friends here at UMass and other schools in the area who were unable to go home are also struggling to make it work. It’s hard when you do something every year, and then suddenly have to change it all drastically.
That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to celebrate or that you should fully ignore the day in favor of waiting for next year. I’m stuck at school but I can still call my family and have a special dinner at the dining hall (Citrus-honey glazed ham and ravioli? Sign me up!). It will be different and weird and it will totally suck in a lot of ways.
But regardless of the differences it’s important to make the special days when everything is against you. So regardless of how or what you celebrate, I hope you can enjoy it. It’s a different year with different expectations, but some things can still stay the same.
Locations and events change, but the importance behind it doesn’t. My plan? Go with the flow and do things my way this year, no matter where I’m located.