During a time like this, the holiday season just doesn’t feel the same. COVID-19 definitely makes it harder to carry out your holiday celebrations the way you usually do. But there’s plenty of COVID-friendly holiday ideas that can still make you feel like nothing has changed. Read on to find out how you can celebrate the holidays with your loved ones while still staying safe!
This is a great time to get creative with your celebration ideas. Even though in-person gatherings in areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases have been discouraged, that doesn’t mean the holidays are completely off the table. Here are 5 ways to celebrate the holidays in a COVID-friendly way.
1. Deliver meals to family and friends
With families staying home this year, not everyone has the ability or time to cook themselves a holiday meal. A great way to show some support to your friends or relatives is by dropping off meals for them. Even if they don’t need a full meal, you can drop off a dessert or some hot cocoa for them to enjoy over the holidays.
2. Have a virtual baking party
The perfect way to celebrate the holidays is by baking with your loved ones. While this may be quite difficult with COVID-19, with apps like Zoom it can still be possible this year. Gather your friends or family for a virtual baking party! Create a dish from scratch while following the same recipe. This way you can enjoy the food and the experience together even if you’re in your own homes.
3. Have an outdoor gift swap
If you have family or friends that live close by, have your Christmas gift exchanges outside your home. You can coordinate a Secret Santa event to minimize contact or even set up a scavenger hunt to find gifts hidden around your yard. Remember to mask up and stay at least six feet apart while you open your gifts.
4. Set up a virtual happy hour
Just because you can’t share a meal together, doesn’t mean you can’t socialize and drink with each other. This year, host a virtual happy hour with your close friends via Zoom. Celebrate with drinks in your hands and make the best of your small celebrations. At the end of the day, being together is all that really matters.
5. Schedule a movie watch party
The easiest way to celebrate the holidays safely is by simply hosting a movie watch party. Use a watch party app like Telepathy to stream movies and shows on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ or HBO. This way you can gather all your friends and family together for a movie night. You can chat throughout the film and even take coordinated pauses for any bathroom or snack breaks.
The holidays are going to be quite a different experience this year. Even though we can’t meet up with our friends and family to enjoy the holidays the way we usually do, we can still learn to make the best of it in a safe and healthy manner.