Stay at Home this Easter and New Year!

2020 is clearly not panning out as planned and an unexpected number of our people have lost loved ones or are anguishing about those who are trapped in hospital. Though Easter and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year are upon us, they hardly seem like times for celebration. Given the curfew, there cannot be any celebration, except within your own four walls. While this does seem dampening, one must understand that it is for our own good. It is for the sake of our loved ones, our kith and kin that we must continue to maintain ‘physical’ distance and abide by the laws of curfew or lockdown; whichever it may be in our own locality. The Full of Etiquette team notes down how we should be socially conscious and keep our little happy moments to ourselves

Pray at Home

The world could do with more praying, but it need not be at a church or any other place of worship. It could be in the safety of your own home. Most television channels will telecast a good service, a few good sermons and the like; just tune in. In these circumstances, insisting on heading over to your usual place of worship is not a sign of deep faith or reverence; instead, it is a sign of pure disrespect for the law of the land and lack of consideration for your own people. Needless to say, this does not qualify as good etiquette since it does not even qualify as remotely acceptable.

Stay at Home

This has been said before, and we shall say it again: STAY HOME. Cabin fever must be setting in by this time, but that is absolutely no reason to put the lives of your fellow countrymen in jeopardy. Easter and New Year seasons generally demand lunches, visits, exchanges of sweetmeat platters and a host of outdoor games, but the time is not right for it. Be mindful of your children and teach them the importance of being home. Set an example by not wandering out on to the road fifteen times a day. Use this opportunity to bond with everyone who lives under your roof. Leave those under other rooves to themselves. We can scamper around to visit and have lunch once COVID-19 is gone.

Remember, it does not matter that you don’t have the virus, nor does it matter that your relatives don’t have the virus – this virus is deadly and there is no saying whether one has it or how soon one will catch it. If you care in any way about your friends and relatives, you will stay home, without exposing them to an unnecessary danger.

Trim the Celebrations

April in Sri Lanka is generally filled with the sounds of crackers, huge gatherings of friends and family, lavish feasts and special religious proceedings. At this time, when the whole world is in a crisis, supplies are limited and so many crucial activities have come to a complete standstill, please understand that a large scale festival of Easter or Avurudu is not required. Simply carrying out a few of the essential rituals with your family would suffice. Your Facebook profile does not demand the pictures of a table overflowing with sweetmeats and your WhatsApp status does not need videos of you lighting crackers. As you scroll through social media, you will see how many thousands of people have left their loved ones forever, you surely don’t want to contribute to it!

Place a Call

Many loved ones must miss you these days – do call them, but do NOT call over in person. Technology allows video calls at very cheap rates; do think of people, send a message, call or send them your wishes. When you speak to people remember to encourage them to do what is right and safe.

Forget About Gifts

Neither are you expected to give nor should you expect a gift this time around. People have limited budgets, no access to gifts and no way of giving them. If your finances permit, do get your loved ones a little something once this is over, but you should not feel obliged as everyone must accept that these are tough times. Similarly, do not place anyone under pressure to get you a gift; whatever you have now is good enough until the dust settles. Please spend a minute and explain this to your kids, we don’t want them to look like the only brats.

When half the world is weeping, one must not indulge in pleasures and fancies in a fickle manner. Not only does etiquette necessitate it, but simple humaneness deems that we keep all celebrations on a very low key.

Let’s also take a moment to be thankful for those valiant soldiers, resilient doctors and nurses and numerous suppliers who work around the clock to keep our tiny nation of Sri Lanka as safe as possible. If nothing else, you owe it to them, they deserve the support of a law abiding and duty conscious nation, for they have outdone themselves.

Happy Easter, Subha Aluth Awuruddak Weva, Puththandu Nal Waalththukkal!