For those of us in lockdown this holiday season, it’s not all doom and gloom I promise! There are still ways to keep the festive celebrations and traditions alive. Will it be different than what we’re used to? Yes. Will it still be fun? Absolutely! If there is one thing we all learned this year, it’s adaptability. Even though your holiday festivities may be celebrated via Facetime and Zoom calls, there are still plenty ways to get creative with it. I’ve put together my own list of ways to get extra creative this holiday season with your friends and family.
- Family Holiday Trivia Night: The whole family…on a Zoom call…playing trivia? That’s right! I know from experience that this is a great way to engage the aunts, uncles, cousins, the whole family! All you have to do is either commit to being the host, or find the next best person in your family to do it. My partner and I make up the trivia which makes for a lot of fun and keeps us busy on the slow days. If you’re not up for making your own, you can easily find a ton of trivia questions online. My only tip here would be to add in some movie/tv clips or music to change up the question format and keep people on their toes.
- Cocktail Competition to Ring In The New Year: Who needs a stiff drink? Me me me! I think it’s fair to say we’re all quite happy to be saying goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021, so why not celebrate with a cocktail competition to ring in the New Year! Have your guests send you their cocktail recipes prior to the competition so you can inform all your guests about what ingredients they will need to make each cocktail. This way as each of the guests shows you their special drink, you can have a taste too. Provide everyone with a scoring structure – appearance/flair, taste, creativity, and name.
- Online Open House: If you’re looking for a little less structure and want to drop in and say hi to your friends quickly or stay for the whole thing, open up a shared Zoom line for people to join throughout the day like an Open House. This way you’ll be able to see all your favorite people in one place.
- Christmas Light Competition: If you’ve waited this long to put up your Christmas lights, you’re in luck with this one. Propose a light competition among you and your neighbors and have everyone vote on the very best light display. This is a great way to get to know your neighbors a little better and to enjoy the fresh air of a brisk December.
- Gingerbread competition: One of my favorite things to do pre-Covid was go to the Hyatt hotel in downtown Vancouver and check out all the elaborate gingerbread houses they displayed in their lobby. Why not become the Hyatt and host your very own gingerbread house competition among friends and family. Have a virtual night where you can build your houses together and laugh as you realize you’re not an architect.
- Cookie exchange: The holidays is one of my favorite times of year because of all the delicious food and baking. My mom and I usually designate one day of the holidays to baking, but unfortunately can’t do that this year. It hasn’t stopped me from baking in my own home though. Tell your friends and family that you’re starting a cookie exchange. Everyone makes a dozen and you all gift a cookie for a cookie!
- DIY Night with Friends: Because some of us have lots of extra time this year to sit and watch Netflix, why not replace some of your tv nights with do it yourself craft nights with friends. The best part about crafting is the challenge and the success of an end result. And no, it doesn’t need to be perfect, as long as it makes you happy you do you.
- Breakfast Kits: Maybe you’re not with your family for Christmas morning this year, but you can all share the love of a gourmet breakfast kit – think bacon jam, cinnamon pancakes and maple syrup galore! If you want to crank it up a notch, why not include a mini bottle of champagne and some OJ to make morning mimosas!
However you choose to celebrate, make it a good one and remember it’s about staying connected to the ones you love!
Cover Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash
