Letters | Careful Christmas this time around will mean many happier ones to come

Even as Covid-19 continues its global onslaught, the world is getting ready to celebrate Christmas. And what is Christmas without Santa Claus, especially for children?

However, in the US state of Georgia, there are fears more than 50 children might have been exposed to the virus last week after meeting Mr and Mrs Claus at a Christmas parade and tree-lighting event, as the couple later tested positive.

Since this shocking news became public, parents have been living with the worry their children might have been infected. Deep down they are saying: Ho, ho, ho. Please do not bring anything for our kids.

My view is that if all festivities are cancelled because of the pandemic, people, especially children and Christians, would be dismayed. Under these special circumstances, though, we should have a plan in mind to avoid catching the virus. If we can take it all in stride, we will still have many more Christmases to celebrate in years to come.

In Hong Kong, though Santa Claus giving away Christmas presents is not that common, we still have many group festivities such as midnight Mass and carol singing. To avoid any further spikes in Covid-19 cases, we should delay gratification from the holiday celebration. This way, we can truly have the happy holiday season that all of us have been longing for.