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From isolation boxes to vans, the novel ways families spent Christmas due to Omicron

With the Omicron variant leading to a massive surge in cases, some families didn't let the pandemic get in the way of their Christmas celebrations

2021 marked the second Christmas during the Covid-19 pandemic, and after the confusion of 2020, families seemed much better prepared this time around. Despite a surge in cases due to the Omicron variant, numerous families were determined to celebrate the occasion together, with some going to quite extreme lengths to do so.

Celebrations became subdued around the world as the Omicron variant quickly spread, forcing many nations to bring back lockdown measures and other restrictions. President Joe Biden, for example, quickly instituted a travel ban to eight African nations where the variant was first detected in late November. But the move proved to be too little, too late. The strain quickly wreaked havoc all over the world, including in the US where air travel was severely crippled. 

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But, despite the chaos and confusion created, some families found rather creative ways to get around the social distancing and isolation requirements. To bring you some holiday cheer, we thought we'd tell you about a few of these innovative families. 

Vans and bubbles to the rescue

Most families had to make do with Zoom, FaceTime, and other digital alternatives if loved ones tested positive, but not the Wright family in Ireland. On December 26, Tom Wright went viral after he tweeted about how his brother managed to overcome the need to isolate. "Back in Ireland for Christmas and have to give my incredible brother Peter a shout out. He had a Covid close contact so couldn’t attend Christmas dinner so pulled up a van by the dining room window in torrential rain, fitting it out w/ lights and a table, and ate alongside us," he tweeted.

The solution certainly made Twitter users smile, and Wright's tweet garnered 84k likes and over 5,000 retweets in a matter of hours. Back in the states, some families decided to turn to literal bubbles. TikToker @cristalarock racked up 451k likes after she uploaded a video of her sister in a plastic see-through tent, ensuring she was still isolated, but with the family for their Christmas dinner. TikToker @mpgriz3 did something similar, creating a "hut of shame" for his sister to join the family on Christmas morning. He racked up over 208k likes after he shared a video of his sister in the plastic box, unwrapping gifts with the rest of the family. 

Others opted to make masks mandatory and even required those who tested positive, or had contact with a positive case to enjoy the celebrations in a different room in the house. Needless to say, the ideas quickly went viral, with plenty more videos of people seeing the funny side of the situation. After another year of the pandemic, it's good to see that people can now see the funny side. Hopefully next year, we won't have to repeat them though.