Six Tips for Virtual Holiday Celebrations
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, or Festivus, this year may look a little different from past holiday celebrations. Going home for the holidays poses a risk in the face of COVID-19. And spending a lot of time indoors with a group of people who aren’t wearing masks increases the risk of getting or spreading the virus. Perhaps the best gift you can give friends and family is to make plans for a virtual holiday celebration. To get you into the spirit, here are some ideas to help you celebrate the holidays together virtually.
- Zoom Gatherings – They may not match the intimacy of in-person gatherings, but video calls can help keep you connected while honoring family traditions. Start by scheduling a Zoom call to bring everyone together. Bake cookies, show off your decorations, open presents together, or have a fireside video chat while you sip a cup of cocoa.
- FaceTime Visits – If you have an iPhone, iPad or Apple computer, you can video chat with friends and family from afar. Overseas calls won’t cost a penny extra, so you could set up your iPad to allow far-flung family members to dine together virtually across different time zones. It’s the next best thing to being home for the holidays. You can also take Live Photos while you’re having a FaceTime chat. So if the cat’s climbing the Christmas tree or the kids are setting out milk and cookies for Santa and his reindeer, you can share the moment after your call.
- Make a Holiday Video – There are probably years of treasured memories stashed away in old photo albums or on forgotten video clips. Ask family members to dig out photos or video snippets from previous holiday celebrations. Then have someone pull the content together and set it to music. Who knows, it might be the start of a new family tradition.
- Holiday Happy Hour – Simply get together on a video call to enjoy a drink together. (Don’t forget the celebratory toast.) For more than just the traditional eggnog, check out these 50 festive drink recipes from Good Housekeeping.
- Throw a Virtual Party – Spread the cheer with a virtual holiday party. You could get dressed up in your festive finest, dressed down in your ugliest holiday sweater, or dressed for comfort in slippers and pajamas. If you want to send invitations, consider a popular e-card site like American Greetings. For something a little jollier, check out jib jab.
- Fun and Games – From scavenger hunts around the house to holiday trivia questions to seasonal charades, virtual holiday games are a great way to bring families together. Who can find the dreidel in the scavenger hunt? What language does Kwanzaa originate from? And how would you act out a mistletoe in charades? You might even award a prize for something as simple as: Who can guess how many ornaments are on the tree? For more seasonal silliness, visit the virtual holiday party team-building page.
Happy holidays from our family to yours.
We hope these tips brighten your holidays and help you feel closer to friends and family. However you choose to connect with each other this year, be sure to follow public health guidelines to celebrate safely. We can still enjoy the holidays, even if we have to change how we celebrate them this year. For more information about how you can celebrate with your loved one at Rolling Green Village, contact us today. Take care and have a very merry virtual holiday season.
