It will be a low-key Christmas this year.

But Cork County Council has unveiled a plan to make sure the festive season is as special as possible in 2020, with a variety of socially-distanced events and ideas to raise everyone’s spirits while supporting citizens and businesses.

A Real Cork Christmas (ARCC) is a new campaign that will be rolled out in Cork towns and villages in the run-up to December 25th.

Here are four things to look forward to:

• Light up for Christmas

The entire county community is invited to safely celebrate the season by lighting up a window in their home or business as Cork County Council lights its premises across the county at 7pm on Thursday, November 12th, “in a moment of hope and solidarity”.

• Festive cheer

A series of initiatives will be undertaken to promote well-being and mental health. This will include Slí Na Croí Ám Nollaig, where red and white ribbons will be added to community walkways to symbolise community solidarity during this challenging period.

• Shop local

Cork County Council is establishing a virtual marketplace, where businesses are invited to post their details and how potential customers can contact them. Businesses can apply to join the virtual marketplace by visiting www.yourcouncil.ie.

• Postcards of hope

ARCC will invite schoolchildren in every 4th class across County Cork to design a special Christmas postcard to represent what A Real Cork Christmas means to them. The winning designs will be drawn from each of the county’s eight municipal districts and will be sent far and wide during the month of December. It’s hoped the cards will help people in County Cork connect with those they cannot meet this Christmas, either here at home or around the world.

‘We need to show our support for our family and friends’

“The introduction of Level 5 restrictions has come as a significant blow for our local retailers, who had been relying on the run up to Christmas to make up for lost time and business earlier in the pandemic,” said Mayor of Cork County, Councillor Mary Linehan Foley.

“Many retailers in County Cork have geared up for click-and-collect, phone-and-collect and online sales, and we now need to show our support for our family and friends by making sure that what we spend this Christmas stays local.

“We are calling this initiative ARCC, because everyone in the county can get on board. As a community, we will celebrate Christmas as best we can while protecting and supporting each other. I look forward to leading by example, and spending as much as I can with Cork businesses in the weeks ahead”.