The popular Christmas song, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”, written by pop singer Andy Williams, aptly describes the yuletide season as a time for celebrations, a get-together with families and friends, spending time with loved ones, hosting parties, giving giftings as well as a time to rest from the year’s work.
With the joy, kindness, laughter, and fun-filled memories that come with the holiday season, the coming days would unsurprisingly stir a lot of activities as merrymaking fills our homes.
Research estimates that about 95% of the world population celebrates Christmas and the New Year, and this season will not be different. Even with Omicron, the COVID-19 variant, showing up, attempting to recreate the surreal holiday season of 2020, there is no doubt that you are planning to create a Christmas cheer and an exciting build-up to the brand-new year, right? Will it be a ‘staycation” or a vacation? Will you be hosting families or spending time with trusted friends? Are you attending the few concerts that have braved to put up a show for revellers to ensure that there is no “dulling” this yuletide season? The watchword from us is to do it with caution while at it.
1. Have a ‘Homecation’ with a blast
If you are concerned about the rapid spread of the Omicron virus and choose to stay indoors, do not despair, you can still create fun from within. So, plan to have a quality and memorable time with your immediate family or just a few friends. Set aside a couple of days to rest with them, catch up on their favourite shows, take a sneak peek at old pictures, laugh at old memories, and create new moments together. This holiday might be a good time to fulfil some of those promises, like helping to make that favourite meal for your loved one or going to watch a Christmas-themed movie on Netflix – try the Naija Christmas recently launched on the platform. This Christmas might also be the best time to test your barbequing and baking skills.
Caution: Not to be a killjoy, it is crucial to be aware that Christmas lighting and decorations can be the source or fuel for a fire incident. The American National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported that Christmas lightings led to fires in 790 homes, caused one death, 26 civilian injuries and $13 million worth of damages between 2015 and 2019. Let us also add that with increasing activities around cooking, barbecuing, and baking, there is no better time than now to be cautious of harmattan-inspired fires. This is where home insurance assurance peace of mind.
2. How about a ‘Vilcation’ for a new breath of air
A ‘Vilcation’ is a holiday spent in one’s village rather than the bustling cities of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, or Kano. This holiday is very popular with our friends from the Eastern region. A trip to the village provides an opportunity to meet distant relatives and connect with your heritage. The countryside is known for its breath of fresh air away from the boisterous din of the cities, which will leave you refreshed and ready for the New Year’s goals.
Read also: Here are 11 most dangerous roads to avoid this Christmas
Caution: Prevailing insecurities have made road trips and some local travel unsafe in recent times. Be sure to check the security situation before you embark on a journey. Local air travels are usually disruptive due to harmattan-inspired on flight visibilities issues. This is the best time to call Leadway Assurance to proactively help manage all the risks involved in travels this season.
3. A vacation should not be off the cards, yet
There is good news for those keen to catch their fun on an incredible vacation this season. Nigeria is now off the UK’s ‘red-list’, and there is a green light on the Nigeria-UAE route after a short diplomatic standoff. So the trip to Dubai and a White Christmas in London is still possible.
Caution: With the COVID-19 health pandemic still on, there are a lot of rules and regulations on international travel. We recommend taking the COVID-19 vaccine and booster already jabbed as the best cautionary measure when you travel. We must also point here that the rules change quite often due to the uncertain nature of the pandemic. Please call your Leadway Assurance travel insurance agent to ensure that your travel plans are adequately covered with an insurance plan before you set out on that vacation.
Understand that the yuletide is just a season and that life itself is a collage of seasons; hence it is wise to put life risks in perspective as you set out to enjoy your holidays. We want you to enjoy more yuletide holidays and even more memorable milestones to come.
To celebrate this beautiful season with our readers, we are offering free vehicle license renewal for all Comprehensive Motor Insurance purchases or renewal by our customers, from now till January 15, 2022.
