Explained: How pandemic has impacted Christmas traditions globally While some Christmas traditions and festivities have been toned down, others have been altered to reflect the pandemic. Written by Surbhi Gupta , Edited by Explained Desk | Updated: December 17, 2020 4:48:13 pm A christmas bauble depicting Santa Claus wearing a face mask hangs from a tree, Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP) Partial lockdowns, travel restrictions and social distancing norms have surely dampened the holiday spirit as people are gearing up to celebrate Christmas amid the coronaviruspandemic. While some Christmas traditions and festivities have been toned down, others have been altered to reflect the pandemic.