2020 may be the only year in living memory when we’ve had to spell ‘happy’ with the letters ‘PPE’ at the end. But that doesn’t mean that Christmas time during a pandemic can’t still be fun, exciting, and meaningful, using a few extra considerations and preparations. Learn some of Zazzle’s tips and suggestions on how to celebrate Christmas during COVID.
Plan and Prepare for a Different Kind of Christmas
When it comes to outlining your guest list to celebrate Christmas at home, it’s best that you don’t spend too much time on it! Given the prevalence of COVID-19, a shorter list of attendees is more appropriate. When it comes to actually inviting your loved ones, be mindful of different opinions. Therapist Kim Eisenberg recommends that you “talk about [the event] ahead of time and come to some consensus around shared expectations of behavior.” This will allow you to broach the topic early and ensure that everyone is comfortable and on the same page.
Of course, there are sure to be those who – whether because they’re elderly, vulnerable, ill, or live too far away – won’t be able to visit. In those situations, a well-timed, much-appreciated care package will light up their Christmas tree: fill it with suggestions using our Gift Guide to show them how much you miss them. With far-flung friends or at-risk individuals, this is also an excellent opportunity to organize a Zoom chat, send a COVID Christmas card, or make a phone call, allowing you to catch up safely and remotely.
Pro Tip: If you feel more comfortable skipping the Christmas festivities this year, we recommend sending out extra special Christmas cards and include any 2020 life updates along with your warmest wishes! Read ‘What to Write in a Christmas Card’ to get some ideas!
Be Mindful of Travel
Long-distance travel, while not ideal, is best done by driving to your destination (with as few stops as possible). Public transportation is the most dangerous method, and while some recent research has shown that air travel is not as precarious as we might expect, crowded airports and check-in lines could still be a risk.
Along with your passport, driver’s license, and armfuls of gifts, there’s another item worth packing this December: a negative COVID-19 test result. While not an absolute guarantee of non-infection, it does allow some peace of mind, and reduces the likelihood of an indoor outbreak. Maintain a strict self-quarantine in the 14 days prior to your visit to limit any potential exposure and you’ll be in the best possible position upon your departure.
Socially Distanced Dinner
This is it, the paragraph you’ve been waiting for: Christmas dinner and the scrumptious delights it brings. This year, however, we’d suggest that you let it ‘bring’ you outdoors: it’s much easier to avoid close contact when you’re in an open area. If you can’t dine outside due to bad weather or lack of a garden, then April Wilson of Loma Linda University suggests you “disinfect common touchpoints frequently. Make sure to wipe down door handles and high-traffic surfaces on the hour.” When it comes to cooking, serving, and eating dinner, these ‘touchpoints’ could include oven doors, kitchen faucets, or stocked cupboards.
Pro Tip: Keep yourself and your guests safe by equipping everyone with face masks, hand sanitizer and other PPE items. If you’re wondering about our face mask offering, read ‘How to Choose the Best Zazzle Custom Face Mask for You’!
If you’ve read our ‘How to Celebrate Thanksgiving During COVID-19’, then you might already be an expert when it comes to hosting dinner mid-pandemic! Appoint one person as a ‘server,’ rather than constantly passing around cutlery and crockery, and start a Zoom conversation while you eat if you’d like to virtually break bread with friends and relatives. Oh, and while you’re cooking dinner, distract the kids by opening presents or watching a Christmas movie. That’s sensible advice no matter what year it is!
Safe Christmas Activities
Even pre-pandemic, Christmas shopping was a treacherous assignment; returning home with the wrong gift and a missing receipt was one such pitfall. This year, the thought of trawling through shopping malls and boutiques might be too much to bear, so why not do your gift shopping online, and have your groceries delivered? Doing so will not only save you time and hassle, but it’ll also mean that you abide by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Holiday Guidelines, swapping high-risk excursions for low-risk alternatives. Read our article about ‘Gift Giving Tips During the COVID-19 Pandemic’!
In terms of games and other activities on the big day, there’s a lot that can be done safely and hygienically, including opening presents online, trading recipes, hanging your COVID Christmas ornaments and holding virtual carol-singing sessions. But before you don your Christmas pajamas and settle in for the winter, know that this can be an expensive – and lonely, particularly in 2020 – season. Check in with elderly neighbors, even by phone, or consider donating some food or money to a local charity, and you’ll make Christmas at home a lot easier on those in your community.
With these ideas in mind to help you stay in the Christmas spirit during COVID-19, you’re ready to have a comfortable, entertaining, and most importantly, safe holiday season!
Share with us in the comments any tips and suggestions on how you plan on safely celebrating Christmas in 2020!
Eoin is a Content Specialist at Zazzle in Cork. He’s recently bought a house with his fiancée, and thus most of his time these days is spent trying to keep the walls from caving in and the wolves from the door. Still, he’s always open to book, game, and movie recommendations, so if you have some, let him know: he’ll add them to a very, very long list.
