Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas a very small, small Christmas.

Many provinces, including B.C. , Alberta and parts of Ontario have strict COVID-19 social gathering limits that will impact the holiday season. In many of those areas, indoor and outdoor social gatherings are banned except for with members of the household you live in, or one or two exceptions for people living alone.

In recent weeks, health officials have clarified or confirmed how those restrictions impact holiday gatherings, particularly for Christmas. Many Canadians are still planning to travel, or at least gather over the holiday season, and some provinces are even making exceptions for the holiday.

Quebec will even close all non-essential businesses in the two weeks following Christmas to account for any holiday spread.

But can you travel or gather for Christmas? And should you? Heres what you need to know.

What are the provinces saying about Christmas gatherings?

Last week, Ontarios chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams said the province is advising people to limit their holiday gatherings to only their immediate household and to keep group numbers down.

I know theres that Christmas song theres no place like home for the holidays, he said. We mean home and stay home in your household, thats what were asking for.