7 Tips for Celebrating the Christmas Holidays (2020 Edition)

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Christmas Joy

This time of the year would normally see people making travel plans to celebrate Christmas. This year, however, is turning out different as Covid-19 cases have spiked with the start of winter in many countries. This pandemic necessitates that one takes the utmost caution in minimizing the chance of infection, including avoiding all unnecessary travels.

Many of us will thus be unable to physically spend time with our loved ones. This means Christmas in 2020 will certainly be different for many people.

Fret not, herd reader, for here are seven tips to help you make the most out of this unusual time.

Keeping It Safe

face mask
Safety comes first.

Before we begin, we must reiterate the importance of keeping safe. This means keeping yourself and your loved ones safe needs to be the number one priority no matter what. Missing a few gatherings – even if it’s Christmas – is a small price to pay if it means that you can have many more in the future.

You can still have a one-of-a-kind memorable Christmas. With that said, let’s make this year’s Christmas as joyful as it can be to the best of our abilities.

On the off chance that you do not have a clue what to do, why not pick one of these tips to commend your Christmas occasion securely and uniquely?

1. Host a Family Movie Night

Online streaming services are not only widely available but also affordable.

The easiest way to bring your family closer together during Christmas is to host a movie night virtually. This can be done by having everyone involved agree to watch the same movie(s) at the same time.

For example, you can watch a movie on your TV and your parents can watch the same movie on theirs. Start the movie(s) at the same time for synchronicity while being virtually connected via an app.

This will allow everyone to appreciate the feeling of a warm Christmas even if you are physically far away. Try watching movies of different genres so that everyone can laugh, weep, and have a good time all around.

Here’s a list of movies that you can choose from but feel free to create your own.

2. Decorating Christmas Trees

Decorating the Christmas tree is a good excuse for getting the family together.

It has become an annual tradition for many to decorate the Christmas tree, and this year should be no different. But unless you have a (fake) Christmas tree lying around somewhere, you will need to procure one somehow. During this pandemic, online stores offer a safer and more convenient alternative to buying the tree and its decorations in-store. 

You should buy a non-decorated Christmas tree if you want the option of decorating it yourself or with your family. This activity can also help everyone to get into the Christmas mood, not to mention the many memories that it will create.

A Christmas tree is also (almost) mandatory to get into and feel the Christmas mood for some, especially for younger children.

3. Have a (Small) Family Party 

A small party is still better than no party.

You can still plan for the annual Christmas dinner even though you cannot be together with all your family members. A smaller Christmas dinner has its benefits, including less preparation required and greater peace & quiet. Your interactions will also likely be a lot warmer i.e. more personal due to the lessened distractions. This of course comes at the expense of the chance to interact with more people.

Those of you who are single and has no family nearby can choose to invite a handful of close friends who are facing similar circumstance. Just be sure that everyone has been tested negative for COVID-19 prior to joining the party.

4. Have a Virtual Meetup With Your Faraway Family Members

Use technology to connect with your loved ones no matter the distance.

The pandemic has made various teleconferencing tools a daily part of many people’s lives, personally and professionally. Tools such as Skype, Google Meet, Zoom, and others can be downloaded for free thus enabling your faraway family members to virtually join in on an event. It won’t feel the same as being physically next to each other, but sometimes you just have to play the hand you were dealt.

At the very least little Timmy will get the chance to wish his grandparents ‘Merry Christmas!’.

5. Go on a Road Trip

Road trips are a good alternative to air travel, especially since the latter is hard to come by during these challenging times.

Road trips are always fun! This is especially so since many of us have been cooped up indoors most of the time. Driving to less frequented places or going to that place you had wanted to visit for some time can be a pleasant way to spend your holidays.

Here are some things to keep in mind before you go on your road trip:

  1. Keep your house secured and let your friends and/neighbors know your itinerary;
  2. Give your vehicle a thorough check;
  3. Bring along adequate medical supplies;
  4. Bring sufficient food/water;
  5. Load up on entertainment options e.g. eBooks, music, etc.
  6. Pack the right clothing;
  7. Make sure that bring along your vehicle’s documents e.g. insurance, etc.
  8. Be knowledgeable about places to avoid,
  9. Keep yourself updated with the latest happenings;
  10. Have a list of emergency numbers that you can dial on hand;
  11. Always adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines.

6. Bake and Cook With Your Family

Baking can be a very fun activity especially if you can do it with – and for – others.

Baking can be a meaningful way to spread the Christmas joy during this tough period. You can do this by yourself, or better yet, with your family. You can then share your baked goods with your family, friends, neighbor, or the local charity. Try making this Christmas shortbread, or see here for more recipe ideas.

Don’t forget to take photos of your bakes and share those as well!

7. Be Grateful

gratitude
Thank you. Just say it. Silently or out loud.

This one may seem out of place but try saying thank you right now. Be thankful that you are still alive and breathing. Be thankful that you have everything that you have, even if it isn’t much. Feel eternally grateful that you have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in 2020.

And don’t forget to smile.

Let There Be Light!

light in darkness
Humanity is about to come out of the dark days that enveloped so many of us since early this year.

We would like to end this post on a bright note:

The first round of COVID-19 vaccinations have begun rolling out in some countries.

Nevertheless, it will still take some time for most of us to receive our injection. This means that you should still take precautions by adhering to all public health and safety guidelines.

We here at The Sleepy Company would like to wish you happy holidays and Happy New Year!

Important Update: A new, more infectious strain of COVID-19 has been recently discovered in the UK. Please keep yourself updated with any new developments no matter which country you are from. We wish you well.