COVID-19 IMPACTS: Family Life, Traditions and Rituals

February 26, 2021

While COVID-19 has affected families across Canada and disrupted many of our routines, roles and relationships, it hasn’t stopped family life. Whether we are connecting to celebrate milestones or providing support in difficult times, people are finding diverse and creative ways to keep doing what families do – often with some help from technology.

According to a recent Leger survey,¹ some families have taken their family traditions, celebrations and gatherings – both joyous and sad – through video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. While the experience may not be the same as hugging and talking to our loved ones in person, these adaptations are allowing many families to continue to smile, laugh, cry and grieve together. The data show that most, but not all, find them less meaningful than in person but that, for many, it is better than nothing.

COVID-19 IMPACTS: Marriage and weddings

With public health measures restricting in-person gatherings across Canada, many couples in the early months of the pandemic who had planned to get married postponed their wedding plans, but with continuing restrictions on social gatherings, some have gone ahead, “tying the knot” virtually, connecting with their families and friends using video conferencing platforms.

The survey found that…

• In the past year, 7% of respondents had participated in a wedding on a video conferencing platform (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams).

• Those with children in the household (13%) were more than twice as likely as those without children at home (5%) to have participated in an online wedding.

• The likelihood of having participated in an online wedding decreased with age:
  • 12% of those aged 18 to 34
  • 8% of those aged 35 to 54
  • 2% of those aged 55 and older

• Among those who had participated in an online wedding, a slight majority said it was less meaningful than in person; those with children and younger respondents were more likely to report it as more meaningful:
  • Slightly over half (54%) said it was less meaningful, and 25% said it was “about the same.” However, 21% found it “more meaningful.”
  • Respondents with children in the household (32%) were more than twice as likely than those without children at home (12%) to report it as a more meaningful experience.
  • The likelihood of saying it was more meaningful dropped sharply with age:
    • 32% of those aged 18 to 34
    • 14% of those aged 35 to 54
    • 0% of those aged 55 and older

 COVID-19 IMPACTS: Grief and loss

Family grieving has also been taking place online, with many families hosting funerals on video conferencing platforms (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams). Respondents in the survey were twice as likely to report having participated in an online funeral (14%) than an online wedding (7%).

• 1 in 7 surveyed Canadians (14%) said they have participated in a funeral on a video conferencing platform in the past year.
  • Respondents with children in the household (16%) were more likely than those without children at home (13%) to have participated in an online funeral.
  • The likelihood of having participated in an online funeral increased with age:
    • 12% of those aged 18 to 34
    • 14% of those aged 35 to 54
    • 16% of those aged 55 and older

• When those who had attended an online funeral were asked about how meaningful their experience was compared with an in-person funeral:
  • More than one-third said it was “about the same” (25%) or “more meaningful” (9%), while the remaining two-thirds (66%) said it was “less meaningful.”
  • Respondents with children in the household (14%) were twice as likely as those without children at home (7%) to report it as a more meaningful experience.
  • The youngest age group was the most likely to report it being more meaningful:
    • 17% of those aged 18 to 34
    • 4% of those aged 35 to 54
    • 8% of those aged 55 and older

Adaptability and creativity will continue to play an important role in keeping families connected under COVID-19. While this survey showed that families clearly miss their in-person gatherings, these virtual adaptations of weddings, funerals and other family gatherings will likely persist in some format post-COVID (perhaps alongside in-person events), as they allow for family and friends at a distance to stay connected and experience important family events together.

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Note

1. A survey was conducted by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies on February 12 and 13, 2021 with 1,535 respondents. While no margin of error can be associated with a non-probability sample, for comparative purposes the national sample of 1,535 Canadians would have a margin of error of ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20.