Normally, around this time of year, we’d be posting a blog that centered around holiday preparations–a guide to refreshing your guest room, some tips for deep frying a turkey for 30 of your closest relatives, or recommendations for great holiday celebrations to attend in the area. And while this blog will certainly be sharing some of our thoughts on how to make the most of the season, we wanted to acknowledge that for most of us, this will be an unusual holiday, where our usual traditions are interrupted by COVID restrictions and the need to keep ourselves and others safe.
That being said, the holidays are far from being cancelled. In fact, with less focus on scrambling through crowded malls, and more time spent at home, this holiday season has the potential to be one of the most memorable of our lives–in a good way. We may indeed have been gifted with time; time to make personalized presents or purchase more thoughtful ones, time to indulge in the sensory pleasures of the holiday (the smell of cookies baking, the sight of lights around the neighborhood, the sound of music that take us back to childhood), time to slow down and really experience home.
So, even if we’re not all headed downtown for the lighting of the square, or preparing for an influx of guests, we can still create a holiday that we will treasure, now and in years to come.
This guide to holiday cheer was created in the spirit of keeping the season joyful, and making accommodations for unprecedented times. The basic idea: pamper yourself and others with simple comforts, focus on your loved ones, and share everything in a virtual world. Let’s get started!
String popcorn, turn on a classic, start a Zoom call
The thing that people sometimes forget about virtual social meet ups is that, just like in real life, you are not required to talk the entire time. It may be the association between virtual meetings and work activities that have given us hesitation about scheduling online chats with friends or attending virtual parties–but staying connected via Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, or whatever your preferred platform is, can be extremely casual. Staying connected is the point, so carving out time to share holiday traditions with loved ones can be as simple as that. You can listen to music, do a craft, have a drink, or even watch a movie together–and it can be just you and one or two friends. No one is required to give a presentation! Just to be present.
Shop online, shop local, shop unique
If cancelled work parties and travel restrictions have freed up time this year, why not use that time to find unique ways to spoil your friends and family? Amazon is a great resource, but stand-out, personalized gifts can be found on Etsy, and other small, online shops run by artisans. You might find that smaller local businesses you patronize that didn’t previously have online shopping options have recently developed those capabilities to stay open. And if you’re doing in-person shopping and trying to limit contact, these online shops are indeed a better bet than a large shopping center. Best of all, they often offer gifts that you can’t find anywhere else, which makes the person you’re buying for feel especially cherished and unique themselves.
Decorate
If you’re spending the holidays at home, it’s more important than ever that your space be decorated to inspire cheer. Some of the online shopping we just described could definitely be directed toward acquiring a few new decorations. And if the act of decorating itself gives you joy, and your celebration lends itself to it, you may consider giving in to your urge to revamp your holiday style altogether. Don’t stop at the living room–decorate every room you spend time in, and decorate it exactly how you like it. This year, you’re decorating mostly for yourself and your immediate family. If you generally don’t get out your beloved nutcracker doll because Aunt Denise thinks it’s creepy, this is the year to display him, front and center!
Even if you get new decorations, break out the old ones, too, the ones with sentimental value. These are talismans of love and memory, regardless of whether they match a theme.
Finally, make new decorations. Whether you pick up a gingerbread house kit, sculpt your own dreidel, or put photos in ornament frames, you’ll have something to commemorate your holiday with.
Fire up the kitchen
We know not everyone is a master chef, but we can’t leave encouragement to cook and bake off a guide to holiday cheer. From latkes to egg nog, nothing summons the feeling of the holidays like traditional treats. But there’s a lot of fun to be in had in trying something new, too!
Want to broaden your repertoire with some super simple new staples? Try these:
- Mulled cider or wine
- Peppermint bark
- Challah
- Deviled Eggs
- Roasted okra
- Corn pudding
Get cozy
Don’t skimp on softness. Drape blankets, buy slipper socks, get a cozy for your mug. If you have rugs that you put away during warmer months, deep clean them and roll them out. In the same way you indulge your senses of taste and smell over the holidays at home, indulging your sense of touch provides comfort. There’s plenty of psychology to explain it, but at the end of the day we all know intuitively that filling a home with softness warms not only the body, but the heart.
Play a long distance game
If you haven’t played a game with friends or family at a virtual hangout, now is the time to try it! Bingo, Scattergories, and Charades can all be played in their traditional forms in a long-distance format, but there are also apps for new games that make playing with friends easy. Among Us and Werewolf are two examples of phone apps that offer players the chance to play a virtual game. If you haven’t done this before, don’t be nervous. Both games are simple with a basic “murder mystery” format.
Make gifts
Even better than buying thoughtful gifts is making them. And if we’re stuck in our homes, why not give it a shot? Just like not everyone is a chef, not everyone loves DIY crafts–but DIY is a broad umbrella for projects that range from collecting photos and having them printed on calendars, to actual full-blown art. If you’ve never DIY’d a gift, there is literally no time like the present. Pun intended.
Here’s a short list of possibilities
- Decorate a wine glass using paint or alcohol ink
- Make wrapped yarn ornaments
- Pour homemade milk candles
- Assemble pretty layered cookie mix in a jar
You can find many more clever ideas here.
Take a ride
If you want to avoid both parties and cold weather, taking a drive is the perfect holiday activity. We have the suspicion that this year, people will be on top of their exterior holiday decorating game, so taking a cruise around different neighborhoods to check out the lights will be a great way to get out. You can find an extensive list of lights around central Indiana here.
And of course, for Hanukkah, the Car Menorah Parade is a tradition with built-in social distancing that nevertheless fosters a sense of community. You can find a parade in nearly every city, and they are free to participate in, and fun to watch.
Deliver cheer
There are so many ways to deliver cheer to loved ones throughout the month of December and into the new year, and as we know, doing good for others makes us feel good too. Here’s just a sample of the possibilities–think about the things that you’re loved ones enjoy, and chances are, a little slice of their personal heaven can be delivered to their door.
Send pics!
Finally, remember to share what’s going on in your world with friends and family. Start a group text or Facebook messenger chat and share pictures of your decorations, your meals, your daily activities throughout the holiday season–and encourage them to do the same! Remember this can be different than sharing on social media. The point here is not to necessarily show off the grandeur of your holiday feast or your Pinterest-worthy DIY wreath, but to stay involved with the people who want to know how your season is going. Silly faces, imperfect houses, and ugly baked goods can all be part of a joyful holiday experience, so share, share, share and see what you get back!
We hope this guide to holiday cheer is helpful in brainstorming the possibilities for this unusual holiday season. We truly wish everyone finds genuine peace and connection with loved ones during this time. And if one of the thoughts you’ve been spending your time on is a home where, next year, you might gather friends and family for a feast, please contact us, so we can start building a better home for a new start in 2021.
