This piece was inspired by the sudden changes imposed on all facets of our lives, public spaces and cities in 2020, due to Covid-19. And it speaks to how it redefined the priorities of our holiday seasons, and upended Christmas.
“…we cannot continue with Christmas as planned” were the spoken words of the British Prime Minister -Boris Johnson on Saturday morning, barely a week to Christmas. And instantly, for most, Christmas plans came to a screeching halt, and their hopes, of end-of year festivities that typically lead into the brand-new year were crushed. Before I proceed, I would like to commiserate with all those who had lost their loved ones to this historic pandemic and are grieving. I am saddened about the news of children, who died, lost a parent or were orphaned. My heart goes out to those isolated, like our elderly, the frontline workers and other vulnerable population of great men and women, who have been dying needlessly, and daily too, due to this pandemic, and our nation’s lack of preparedness and resilience. The year has become symbolic of a dark winter courtesy of this creepy pandemic. And in this uncanny nature, it is on the prowl again, this time, aiming fully at Christmas. Suffice it to say then that it is not the PM that is trying to steal our Christmas, rather, it is the unpredictability of this virus that is to blame. Thus, Covid-19 is the proverbial grinch that may very well steal the 2020 Christmas. Pre-Covid Cities and Spaces Until this virus came barrelling into our world, cities and the holiday proclivities, like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas have existed successively and beneficially. And at Christmas time, cities worldwide have often imbued their public spaces and places with the bright hues of red, blue, yellow and green lighting. All lit up as early as possible, shinning ready for Christmas, and making the waiting, worthwhile. But the pandemic’s impact this year have thrust cities on a collision course with ‘change’. Change, an often-placid word of momentum, has become eclectic this year 2020 as it depicts more of lockdowns and restrictions than movement. Thus, to state that the force of Covid-19 on our cities and on this year’s holiday season has been brutal, is an understatement. It has been cataclysmic. To those that cherish Christmas and to those that don’t, it is evident that truncated experiences of traditions like Christmas, Kwanza and Hanukkah will be awkward. The elaborate partying, cooking, visits with family and friends, travelling, and so on, are fixtures of this period, whether you are participating or not. These occasions have assumed their irrefutable positions in the world’s end-of-year ordering of time, and holiday seasons, and most people like that very much. Consider global cities, like Las Vegas, a host to perhaps, the biggest technology exposition in the world, known as the CES. This week-long event that has lighted up the daytime scenery of the Las Vegas strip, brighter than its Casinos at night, every first week of the year, for decades; will for the first time since inception be held virtually in 2021. That means, no physical connection to the venue or the products will be possible. And if you have ever attended the CES, you’ll know what that means. I have been a regular attendee for some time now. And while I was there last year, I had the opportunity to take a ride in a self-driving car, the first of its kind in the USA. This type of experience with nouveau products and first to market ideas will simply not be possible, no matter what they come up with, online. In 2020, approximately 170,000 people attended the Convention. Think about the losses to the hospitality industry, the airlines and other businesses that have come to rely on the flow of tourists, exhibitors and delegates to such a huge Convention. And across other major cities, worldwide, there are other examples of cancelled events and truncated experiences too numerous to mention. Thus, as I ruminated on how we live and thrive in our cities, communities and homes, and the various organised patterns that we observe in them, there is that inevitable drawing of these three elements -Cities, Christmas, and Coronavirus. It is incontrovertible that the continuity of things and our resilience is inextricably linked to the state and health of our cities, and the wellbeing of people and communities that populate them. Milieu and Vicissitudes of Christmas This chary rendition of Christmas, predicates on its historical contexts and antecedents and culminates in its discernible and observable elements, which are inextricably woven and adorned in the observance of the yuletide. It is this exceptionalism of Christmas, which by the way, is known as ‘Noel’ in French that led me to immerse myself in this writing. Whether or not it’s true, in historical contexts the origin of Christmas has been proximate to pagan worship. In my introspection of the plausibility of that assertion, I deemed it necessary to find well written books about the specifics of traditions centred around the lunar year, as Christmas. I also focussed on the meaning of terms. I found that while the term, ‘pagan’, may allude to ‘unholy worship’ of some ‘unholy people’; in the etymology of the word in a basic search of the Dictionary, the meaning, in the contexts of the primeval people or practice, indicates a condition of being ’unrefined’ or ‘old -fashioned’. This is not in terms of their worship of anything, but the natural ways they were doing things (i.e., acts of celebration, either in music, in thanksgiving and sharing) at those times before the advent of Christianity. And in a book, I found adequate for the purpose, titled “Christmas: A Candid History” the author explicates on certain key concepts in the celebration of Christmas. First, on why the celebration is in the last week of December, and why it involves such show of exhilaration and sharing of gifts. As the author explicates, the time of Christmas marks the time of the winter solstice. These were all parts of a pattern that “predated Christianity” (Forbes, 2008) with origins in ancient Rome. In addition, the use of the evergreen tree, which is a tree that never wanes, was also emblematic of survival and hope in harsh winter, serving as an evidence of life in the midst of very little or none. Likewise, the decorations and other things that adorn the Christmas tree were to simulate the sparkle of life, beauty and hope. And of course, this was important to the people as they cope with the harsh realities of winter in those dark ages before much of the inventions of modernity (Forbes, 2008). Thus, while the traditions of Christmas have evolved symbolically in the trappings of it (the adornments and ornaments, and other synthetic objects were fashioned after their true likeness) in substance; the essence of Christmas remains the same - captured in the holiday spirit of love, gratitude, carols, and joyful giving. Christmas will always be about basking in celestial air of love, joy, benevolence and euphoric reciprocity centred around the birth of Christ, the saviour of the world. It will continue to transcend the orbits of such impediments as race, class and culture, ever triumphant as a global language of love and selflessness. This is the language of Christmas. Therefore, in this pandemic ridden year, in particular, the message of compassion for the weak amongst us, the expression of inclusion, diversity, joy, godliness, empathy and hope of a new dawn, must resonate. And we do need focussed prayers for the survival of the human race and the planet. To this end, my message to everyone today, is not to despair. Do remember the evergreen tree and how it prevails over the dark days of winter and be rest assured that this dark winter, too, shall pass. Besides, there are many ways to engage, now, virtually than at any time, before. So, continue to follow the directives for staying at home, while you keep on connecting to all your loved ones. Before I sign off here, let me share some awe-inspiring Christmas-themed historic events with you:
What else can I say? Have An ‘Elfy’ Christmas! Reference Forbes, B. D. (2008). Christmas: A candid history. Univ of California Press. Shade Adepeju-Joseph, DipM MA MS PMP FCIM Columnist and Editor
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Prior to what can be described as the great upset of the century, brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic that exposed key areas of unpreparedness, cities were inflexibly ingrained in customs of social interactions and proclivity, epitomized by norms of unconstrained use of human and natural energy, and space.
Most importantly too, cities were increasingly becoming quite hard to manage as they continually make room for more people than they can sustainably cope with, fetching ills in pollution, overcrowding, traffic congestion and crime. Thus, to ponder on the workings of a typical boisterous city, is to rekindle flashbacks of wanton messiness, reminiscent of the pre-pandemic days. Furthermore, these immutable attributes: unabating and unpausing CO2 emissions, hyper-congestion of traffic and pedestrian activities, overpopulation, crime and inequality, often imperilled booming cities. Although, this representation of how things subsisted in cities prior to much of 2020 may not evoke the essence of the proverbial halcyon days; in the way things were, it was a time of relative calm and consistency. For instance, all stakeholders commuting and planning within them, having no alternative frame of reference were somewhat managing to find their calm within the storm. The obvious routines in how the ecosystem of cities were wired bred needless commotion and bottleneck as much of their congestion stemmed from the traffic of the throngs of commuters and single occupancy vehicles that overwhelm their limited spaces, due to the concentration of offices, high street retail shops, and organisations in them. This medley is further exacerbated by constraints presented via the ordering of events around set time for city people to mingle and get their daily economic activities done. The standardised timing of events (opening time - lunch time - closing time) compels workers and other users alike to flock en-masse in and around cities, placing significant pressure on city infrastructure and the utility of city spaces. In addition, should the compounding effect of the forces of nature; elicited by weather perturbations like rain, cold and heavy winds be considered, their inescapable and incessant negative impact on the autonomy and wellbeing of users and commuters alike, present an odd coupling. But as stakeholders helplessly observe and haplessly bemoan the otherworldly scenery of ‘great quiet’ and ‘mass solitude’ produced by the Covid-19 lockdowns; the unconstrained interactions of people (hugging, talking and shaking hands), places (teeming and brimming with movements) and processes that this zombie like scenery replace, cause the often limited definition of resilience to percolate into unchartered territory. While to the untrained eyes this change may appear to be transitory, and little more than an unwelcome distraction; there is an unveiling of clear paradigm-shifting distinctive insights to those who plan cities and to the research and project management inclined. Thus, as a researcher, these observations pose to me, the following questions: Should the rethinking of cities engender innovation that wholly support inclusivity, resilience and responsiveness? Should the practitioners in the myriad domains of pedagogy and research boldly confront the evanescence of the once rigid reality of resilience as availability? To this end, this column by its monthly delivery will channel the events of 2020 to exploratorily and explicatively enact alternate frames of reference, using examples from all around the world on how new experiences are distilling the old to a rethinking of cities and public spaces. Yours truly, Shadé Adepeju-Joseph DipM MA MS PMP FCIM |
About ShadéHello! I am Shadé Adepeju-Joseph, and I will be a columnist on the Blog team. Archives
February 2021
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