This year has been rough to say the least. From the pandemic to wildfires and presidential elections, everything has been more stressful than ever. However, this seems like the perfect time to enjoy the Holiday season properly – because yes, you can celebrate it even during a pandemic.
Sure, some things may be different, such as visiting your family or traveling to another state if these were your former traditions. Even so, we can learn new ways to find our much-needed joy right at home with our loved ones.
Today, we’ll explore 7 new ways to enjoy Christmas during a pandemic.
Gather your family…
…virtually, of course. Just because we can’t meet our loved ones to celebrate in person, it doesn’t mean we should skip this tradition altogether. Thankfully, there are countless apps we can use to stay connected and celebrate Christmas. One of my favorites, Netflix Party, allows you to watch the same movie with your family in real-time; you can even add comments in the chat box and enjoy your favorite Christmas classics together!
Skip the traditional menu
Since this year is so different, perhaps you want to start a new tradition too – or simply use Christmas as the perfect excuse to enjoy your (actually) favorite meals. Whether we think about seafood, international cuisine or plain pizza (because some of us are tired of cooking, really) allow yourself to skip and modify traditions as you wish!
Give back
Finding happiness during social isolation is hard – and some people have spent their entire lives this way. You can still help those in need by donating goods, clothing items or volunteering; seeing the joy you bring on a stranger’s face is one of the best gifts you could enjoy this Christmas. In fact, it might be just what all of us need right now.
And since we’re talking about gifts…
Give practical gifts
We all know the struggle of picking the right present for our loved ones – especially those aunts and uncles we don’t really know that well.
This guessing game might’ve been fun in the previous years. However, we’ve all had a rough year financially and could use a little real help getting what we need this Christmas. Therefore, you can simply ask your friends and relatives to make a Practical Gift List you definitely know they’ll use.
It may be a kitchen appliance, gift card or even grocery shopping for the holidays might mean a lot more than any of your present ideas.
Decorate grandma-style
You know how fashion trends always come back? Apparently, the same goes for Christmas decorations. This year, ceramic Christmas trees are the biggest trend; you can either use your grandma’s decorations (if you have any left) or order vintage ones online. They’re actually surprisingly affordable if you know where to look!
There’s also a secret perk here: using your grandma’s décor might help you get into the holiday spirit by bringing a much-needed dose of nostalgia. We shouldn’t live in the past, but this year it really feels like we need to remember the good days, right?
Start a new tradition
Bring your loved ones together by creating a new tradition that will cheer you all up! Whether you’re going to order matching pajamas, write letters to each other or remembering funny Christmas stories, each little thing can make a big positive difference. Just make sure you don’t come up with anything too complicated or expensive: after all, we want fun not extra-worries, do we?
Play a Christmas game
I’ve already mentioned the financial difficulty of 2020 and how you can make practical gifts. If gift lists isn’t your family’s thing, though, you can play a fun game to make giving gifts cheaper and more entertaining than ever!
The game is called Pass the Present. Each family member brings a present with a price limit you set. The family sits at a table while a poem is read out loud; every time the word ‘left’ or ‘right’ comes up, family members have to pass the gift in front of them to the person in their left or right. When the poem ends, everyone opens up the gift and tries to guess who made it!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but only if we put in some extra effort to make it so. What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?