There is no doubt that 2020 has been a long and difficult year. The pandemic is far from over and people are now beginning to question how they can celebrate Christmas, when money’s tight from job losses, and the government advice is not to gather in large groups.
Your traditional Christmas may be out of the question this year, but that doesn’t mean that celebrations have to be cancelled. There will still be plenty of opportunities for you to bust out that ugly christmas sweater and watch all of those holiday movies that still get you in the feels after 20 + years.
It may also be the perfect opportunity for you to create some new holiday traditions that will continue throughout the years.
Rethink Gifting
If money is tighter this year, buying gifts for people will be an unnecessary stresser. It’s time to rethink how you give gifts. Use this opportunity to turn gifting into a game. Like a secret santa- draw names from a hat so that each person only buys one gift. Maybe set a budget on the gift and challenge people to thrift or make at least one element of the gift.
This year is a great opportunity to focus less on expressing love through material things, and more on spending quality time with our loved ones.
Serve Non-Traditional Food
The Christmas dinner is arguably one of the best meals of the year (after Thanksgiving, obviously!) but why settle for the same old turkey roast when there’s a whole other world of different foods to enjoy? Do some research into how they eat Christmas food in faraway Thailand, or have a cosy meal in Scotland. Break tradition by exploring a new country every year!
Host a Gathering Online
The best part of the holiday season is getting to spend time with loved ones. Sadly, It’s going to be harder for us to be able to do the traditional family gathering this year. If having friends and family is what makes Christmas special for you, plan a virtual celebration where you can do christmas baking via video conferencing and spend an evening or two watching movies online together using platforms such as Netflix Party or Scener.
Do More Things for the Community
2020 has been an odd year all round for most of us. However, the most important thing to come out of this is people’s willingness to do things for their local communities. Maybe take this opportunity to use some of your time to create lasting memories for those in need who live close by. This could look like delivering meals (at a safe distance) to families who have just welcomed a new baby, those who have lost loved ones, or older, more vulnerable people in your local neighborhood. It may be donating warm clothing to homeless charities. Doing something simple like this shows people around you that people care about them in spite of their challenging circumstances.
How can you switch up your routine to make Christmas 2020 one to remember?